Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic FZ1000

Following is a detailed review of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Panasonic FZ1000, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and FZ1000 (20MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and FZ1000 (1") posses different sensor dimensions.

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The XZ-2 iHS was announced 18 months earlier than the FZ1000 which makes them a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the XZ-2 iHS scores versus the FZ1000 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus XZ-2 iHS & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000. The whole galleries are available at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery & Panasonic FZ1000 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and volume. 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 FZ1000 has sizing of 137mm x 99mm x 131mm (5.4" x 3.9" x 5.2") having a weight of 831 grams (1.83 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Panasonic FZ1000 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the XZ-2 iHS vs the FZ1000.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and FZ1000 is 85 and 55 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to visualize the gap between sensor sizes merely by checking technical specs. The picture underneath may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-2 iHS and FZ1000.

As you can tell, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The XZ-2 iHS having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF tougher and the Panasonic FZ1000 will give you greater detail with its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more aged XZ-2 iHS is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.