Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic GH2

Below is a in-depth review of the Olympus XZ-1 versus Panasonic GH2, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and GH2 (16MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and GH2 (Four Thirds) feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The XZ-1 was announced around the same time to the GH2 so they are both of a similar age. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a simple summation of how the XZ-1 matches up against the GH2 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Panasonic GH2 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus XZ-1 enjoys outside dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Panasonic GH2 has proportions of 124mm x 90mm x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0") with a weight of 442 grams (0.97 lbs).

Check the Olympus XZ-1 versus Panasonic GH2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the XZ-1 vs the GH2.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and GH2 is 88 and 70 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to see the difference between sensor measurements just by looking at specifications. The visual below should give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-1 and GH2.

Plainly, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The XZ-1 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Panasonic GH2 will give more detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will let you crop shots much more aggressively.