Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic FH20

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Panasonic FH20, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the FH20 (14MP) is relatively close but the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and FH20 (1/2.3") possess different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-2 iHS was brought out 2 years later than the FH20 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise overview of how the XZ-2 iHS scores vs the FH20 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20. The entire galleries are available at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Panasonic FH20 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS provides external dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) while the Panasonic FH20 has proportions of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") having a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Look at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Panasonic FH20 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the XZ-2 iHS against the FH20.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-2 iHS and FH20 is 85 and 93 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to picture the contrast in sensor measurements purely by researching a spec sheet. The graphic below might give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-2 iHS and FH20.

As you can see, each of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The XZ-2 iHS because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic FH20 will provide you with greater detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The fresher XZ-2 iHS should have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.