Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic S1H

Following is a detailed review of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic S1H, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and S1H (24MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and S1H (Full frame) have different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-2 iHS was brought out 7 years earlier than the S1H which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Panasonic S1H being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise summary of how the XZ-2 iHS scores against the S1H in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Panasonic S1H Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera, you will want to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS has got outer dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") along with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S1H has sizing of 151mm x 114mm x 110mm (5.9" x 4.5" x 4.3") along with a weight of 1052 grams (2.32 lbs).

Check the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic S1H in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the XZ-2 iHS compared to the S1H.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and S1H is 85 and 52 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to imagine the difference between sensor sizes just by looking at specs. The pic here should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-2 iHS and S1H.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The XZ-2 iHS due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic S1H will resolve more detail having its extra 12MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The more aged XZ-2 iHS is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.