Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic GH2

Let's look a bit more closely at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic GH2, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and GH2 (16MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and GH2 (Four Thirds) posses totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-2 iHS was unveiled 22 months later than the GH2 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a in-depth comparison, here is a quick summation of how the XZ-2 iHS scores versus the GH2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-2 iHS & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery & Panasonic GH2 Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS has got physical measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") having a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) while the Panasonic GH2 has sizing of 124mm x 90mm x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0") and a weight of 442 grams (0.97 lbs).

Compare the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic GH2 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the XZ-2 iHS compared to the GH2.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-2 iHS and GH2 is 85 and 70 respectively.

Sometimes, it's tough to see the gap between sensor measurements merely by reviewing specs. The graphic here will offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-2 iHS and GH2.

All in all, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The XZ-2 iHS having a tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Panasonic GH2 will offer you greater detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The younger XZ-2 iHS will have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.