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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic G2

Portability
85
Imaging
37
Features
67
Overall
49
Olympus XZ-2 iHS front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 front
Portability
72
Imaging
48
Features
60
Overall
52

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic G2 Key Specs

Olympus XZ-2 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-112mm (F1.8-2.5) lens
  • 346g - 113 x 65 x 48mm
  • Introduced December 2012
Panasonic G2
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 428g - 124 x 84 x 74mm
  • Launched July 2010
  • Previous Model is Panasonic G1
  • Successor is Panasonic G3
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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic G2 Overview

On this page, we will be evaluating the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Panasonic G2, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the G2 (12MP) is relatively similar but the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and G2 (Four Thirds) posses different sensor size.

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The XZ-2 iHS was released 2 years after the G2 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 G2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a short overview of how the XZ-2 iHS scores vs the G2 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus XZ-2 iHS over the Panasonic G2

 XZ-2 iHS G2 
LaunchedDecember 2012July 2010Newer by 30 months
Screen resolution920k460kClearer screen (+460k dot)

Reasons to pick Panasonic G2 over the Olympus XZ-2 iHS

 G2 XZ-2 iHS 
Screen typeFully ArticulatedTiltingFully Articulating screen
Selfie screen Take selfies

Common features in the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic G2

 XZ-2 iHS G2 
Manual focus Dial exact focusing
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen size
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic G2 Physical Comparison

In case you're going to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS has external measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) whilst the Panasonic G2 has dimensions of 124mm x 84mm x 74mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.9") along with a weight of 428 grams (0.94 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Panasonic G2 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen at that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the XZ-2 iHS against the G2.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic G2 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and G2 is 85 and 72 respectively.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic G2 top view buttons comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic G2 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it's difficult to picture the gap between sensor dimensions simply by reading technical specs. The pic below may offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-2 iHS and G2.

As you can tell, the two cameras have the same megapixels albeit different sensor dimensions. The XZ-2 iHS contains the tinier sensor which is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging. The newer XZ-2 iHS should have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic G2 sensor size comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic G2 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic G2 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Portrait photography highlights
Panasonic G2 Portrait photography highlights
46
focusing manually
includes face detect focus
exports RAW formats
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sensor size is small (1/1.7")
60
has manual focus
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
provides face detection focus
saves RAW files
low megapixels (12MP)
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Street Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Street photography factors
Panasonic G2 Street photography factors
66
tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
exports RAW formats
sensor size is small (1/1.7")
heavier than competitors in class (346 grams)
65
screen articulates
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
provides focus via touch
no image stabilization
more heavy than others in class (428 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS as a Sports photography camera
Panasonic G2 as a Sports photography camera
43
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
includes tracking focus
great battery power (340 shots)
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
sensor size is small (1/1.7")
lacks phase detect auto focus
40
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
provides tracking autofocus
very slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames/s)
no image stabilization
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
does not have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus XZ-2 iHS
Travel photography with Panasonic G2
61
great battery power (340 shots)
has built in flash
pretty wide (28mm)
good maximum aperture (f1.8)
missing Time Lapse recording
heavier than competitors in class (346 grams)
sensor resolution low (12MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
58
provides focus via touch
has built in flash
display is selfie friendly
does not have Timelapse recording
more heavy than others in class (428 grams)
low megapixels (12MP)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Landscape photography highlights
Panasonic G2 Landscape photography highlights
55
focusing manually
pretty wide (28mm)
good maximum aperture (f1.8)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
exports RAW formats
great battery power (340 CIPA)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sensor size is small (1/1.7")
missing Time Lapse recording
57
has manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a decent size (3")
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
no image stabilization
low megapixels (12MP)
does not have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Vlogging factors
Panasonic G2 Vlogging factors
36
pretty wide (28mm)
good maximum aperture (f1.8)
has touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
includes face detect focus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
has mic jack
screen is not selfie friendly
heavier than competitors in class (346 grams)
61
display is selfie friendly
touchscreen enabled
provides face detection focus
does have external microphone support
no image stabilization
low video resolution (1280 x 720 pixels)
more heavy than others in class (428g)
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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic G2 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic G2
 Olympus XZ-2 iHSPanasonic Lumix DMC-G2
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus XZ-2 iHS Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
Category Small Sensor Compact Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2012-12-18 2010-07-12
Physical type Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip - Venus Engine HD II
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/1.7" Four Thirds
Sensor measurements 7.44 x 5.58mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor area 41.5mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 12MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 3968 x 2976 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 12800 6400
Lowest native ISO 100 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 35 -
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
Lens focal range 28-112mm (4.0x) -
Maximum aperture f/1.8-2.5 -
Macro focus range 1cm -
Amount of lenses - 107
Focal length multiplier 4.8 2.1
Screen
Type of screen Tilting Fully Articulated
Screen diagonal 3 inches 3 inches
Screen resolution 920 thousand dots 460 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen tech - TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.55x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 seconds 60 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate - 3.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 8.60 m (ISO 800) 11.00 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264 AVCHD Lite, Motion JPEG
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 346 gr (0.76 lb) 428 gr (0.94 lb)
Physical dimensions 113 x 65 x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") 124 x 84 x 74mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 49 53
DXO Color Depth score 20.4 21.2
DXO Dynamic range score 11.3 10.3
DXO Low light score 216 493
Other
Battery life 340 pictures 360 pictures
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model Li-90B -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots Single Single
Launch cost $450 $1,000