Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic GX8: A Detailed Comparison for the Discerning Photographer

Choosing a camera is a personal journey shaped by your photographic passions, budget, and technical needs. Today I’m diving deep into two very different yet exciting cameras: the Olympus XZ-2 iHS, a compact enthusiast-oriented camera released in late 2012, and the Panasonic Lumix GX8, a more recent (2015) advanced mirrorless camera aimed at serious enthusiasts and professionals alike. Both come from reputable brands with strong histories, but they address very different use cases and needs.

Having personally tested thousands of cameras using industry-standard protocols - ranging from controlled lab shoots to unpredictable real-world scenarios - I'll break down everything that matters to you: sensor and image quality, autofocus performance, build, usability, and how they perform in varied photographic disciplines. Whether you’re shooting portraits or landscapes, wildlife or video, this comparison will offer practical insights beyond spec sheets to empower your decision.

Getting Hands-On: Size, Build, and Ergonomics

First impressions count and physical handling shapes your entire user experience. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS is a compact camera with a fixed zoom lens, designed for portability and quick shooting. The Panasonic GX8 is a larger rangefinder-style mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses, built for more versatility and control.

Looking side-by-side, you immediately notice the GX8’s heft and bulk – it weighs roughly 487g compared to the XZ-2’s 346g, and its dimensions reflect a tool designed to be held for extended sessions. In contrast, the XZ-2 iHS slips easily into a jacket pocket or small bag - ideal if you prioritize a lightweight setup.

Both have thoughtfully designed grips: the GX8 sports a deeper handgrip with a textured surface, promoting stability, especially with large lenses; the XZ-2 compensates with a subtly rubberized palm rest since it lacks a detachable lens system.

From my experience, if you like shooting on the go or street photo walks where minimalism is key, the Olympus feels more natural. For those deploying heavier telephoto lenses for wildlife or sports, the Panasonic’s grip and balanced heft bring comfort and steadiness.

Design Language and Control Layout: Intuition Meets Functionality

How a camera’s controls are arranged can mince or magnify your enjoyment. Here’s a view of the top panels.

The Olympus goes minimalist: a mode dial dominates the right top, flanked by a shutter and a small control ring on the lens barrel. It uses touch screen controls extensively, with a 3-inch tilting screen offering 920k dots - sharp, but not class-leading today.

The GX8 boasts more physical dials: separate exposure compensation, aperture ring (if lens supports), shutter speed dial, and customizable buttons all within thumb’s reach, enhancing quick manual control. The screen is fully articulated, slightly larger (3 inches, 1040k dots), with touchscreen support too.

Personally, I find the GX8’s dials a joy in dynamic shooting - settings can be tweaked without diving into menus. The Olympus simplifies for quick snaps but can feel limiting when you want manual precision, especially since it lacks illuminated buttons or viewfinder eye sensors.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Sensors dictate image fidelity more than anything. Here is the crucial sensor dimension and technical specs comparison:

• Olympus XZ-2 iHS: 1/1.7 inch CMOS sensor (7.44 x 5.58 mm), 12MP resolution.
• Panasonic GX8: Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor (17.3 x 13 mm), 20MP effective resolution.

The GX8’s sensor is over 5 times larger in area, providing a significant edge in image quality, particularly in noise handling, dynamic range, and color depth. DxOMark scores underline this: the GX8 scores 75 overall, with superb color depth at 23.5 bits and dynamic range of 12.6 EV stops, while the XZ-2 ranks 49, limited by its physically smaller sensor.

In practical terms, the GX8 yields cleaner images at higher ISOs - noticeably so beyond ISO 800, where the XZ-2’s images tend to show noise and loss of detail. If you shoot landscapes or portraits demanding rich tonal transitions or low-light work, the GX8’s sensor will satisfy you. The Olympus is fine for daylight, casual shooting, and web sharing but struggles when pushed.

LCD and Viewfinder: Composing the Shot with Confidence

Neither camera has an optical viewfinder, but the GX8 compensates with a well-respected electronic viewfinder (EVF) boasting 2.36 million dots and near-100% coverage, plus a magnification of 0.77x. The Olympus does offer an optional electronic viewfinder accessory - but it’s not included, and I found the experience less seamless.

The back LCDs differ visually and functionally too:

The GX8’s fully articulated screen is robust and versatile for shooting at odd angles or video vlogging, and its touchscreen is responsive and intuitive. The XZ-2’s tilting touchscreen is handy but smaller and involves fewer gestures.

If you like composing in bright light or want to shoot discreetly via an EVF, the GX8 wins handily. The absence of a built-in EVF in the Olympus limits your framing options, especially under intense daylight where the rear screen can be challenging.

Autofocus and Speed: Tracks Your Moment Like a Pro

Autofocus can make or break action, wildlife, and street photography. Olympus shines with a contrast-detection system with 35 focus points and face detection enabled, yet it lacks continuous autofocus or reliable tracking in rapid sequences. The GX8 employs 49 focus points with continuous AF and tracking modes, covering subject movement with agility.

Burst speeds tell a similar story: GX8 can shoot up to 12 frames per second (fps) with AF tracking, allowing you to capture fast-paced sports or birds in flight with confidence. The XZ-2 doesn’t specify a continuous shooting speed but is generally slower and less capable of sustaining bursts.

In testing wildlife scenarios, the GX8’s AF was far more forgiving with unpredictable subject motion, maintaining crisp focus during handheld panning. The Olympus is better suited for static or slow-moving subjects - portraits or casual street shots, for instance.

Photography Genres: Which Camera Excels Where?

Let’s break down how these cameras deliver across photography disciplines.

Portrait Photography: Skin, Bokeh, and Eye AF

The GX8, paired with fast Micro Four Thirds lenses (like the Leica 42.5mm f/1.2), produces creamy bokeh and pleasing skin tones due to better sensor size and dynamic range. Its Face Detection AF helps keep eyes tack sharp.

The XZ-2’s lens peaks at f/1.8-2.5 with a 28-112mm equivalent zoom; decent but narrower aperture limits shallow depth-of-field effects. The small sensor also produces less smooth background blur.

So if dreamy portraiture is your passion, GX8 is the clear winner.

Landscape Photography: Dynamic Range and Resolution

With almost double the resolution (20MP vs 12MP) and superior tonal latitude, the GX8 captures landscape details and subtle highlights better. It’s also weather-sealed, enhancing rugged outdoor use.

The Olympus handles daylight scenes competently but struggles with high-contrast or shadow detail. Also, its built-in lens is limited in wide-angle reach compared to interchangeable landscape lenses available for the GX8.

I recommend GX8 for serious landscapes - especially if you shoot RAW and do post editing.

Wildlife and Sports: Speed and Reach

Autofocus speed, frame rates, and telephoto lens compatibility matter most here. GX8 offers better AF tracking, faster FPS, and access to powerful MFT tele photos.

The XZ-2’s fixed 4x zoom and slower AF limit its utility for sports or wildlife. It’s more a casual zoom that excels in street or travel snapshots.

Street Photography: Discreteness and Portability

Here, the Olympus’ compactness and whisper-quiet operation shine. It’s less obtrusive, quicker out of the bag, and lends itself to candid moments. GX8, while compact in the mirrorless world, is bulkier and more noticeable.

Low-light AF favors GX8, but for quick street snaps, I’d pick the Olympus for stealth.

Macro Photography: Close-up Precision

The Olympus offers a true macro focusing distance of just 1cm - remarkably close - which allows impressive close-up detail without external lenses.

The GX8 depends on macro lenses, which deliver better image quality and working distance but increase gear weight.

So enthusiasts looking for natural close-ups on the fly will like the XZ-2; those willing to carry lenses for sharper results will prefer GX8.

Night and Astro Photography: Noise Control and Exposure

Here sensor size and ISO performance matter greatly. The GX8’s cleaner high ISO and longer shutter speeds - coupled with in-body stabilization - make it better suited for starry nights and long exposures.

The Olympus’ smaller sensor and limited ISO performance introduce noise at moderate ISOs, restricting night creativity. It can manage basic low-light but isn’t astro-specialist.

Video Performance: Moving Pictures with Clarity

Both cameras record video, but the GX8 leaps ahead with 4K UHD recording at 30p and 24p, plus slow-motion Full HD at 60p. Optical and sensor-based stabilization (Dual I.S.) aid handheld shooting.

The XZ-2 caps out at 1080p/30fps with MPEG-4/H.264 compression; it’s competent but lacks advanced modes or resolutions.

Both have microphone inputs but no headphone jacks - limiting audio monitoring options.

For hybrid photo/video shooters or vloggers, the GX8 is a more future-proof device offering smoother video and more frame rate options.

Battery Life and Storage: Powering Your Creative Flow

The Olympus XZ-2’s battery life rates around 340 shots per charge, just edging out the GX8’s 330 captures. In real shoots, the GX8’s power-hungry EVF can drain faster, so spares or power banks help.

Both support SD/SDHC/SDXC cards with single slots - no dual card backup but easily accessible SD cards.

For travel or long sessions, Olympus offers efficient power in a small body; the GX8 demands more planning but compensates with superior capabilities.

Connectivity and Wireless Features: Keeping Up with Workflow

The Olympus supports Eye-Fi cards for wireless transfer - an older standard with somewhat limited app support nowadays.

The GX8 has built-in Wi-Fi plus NFC, allowing quick remote control and image transfer through Panasonic’s app. This is a big boon in fast-paced or social sharing scenarios.

USB 2.0 is standard on both, mainly serving file transfers and tethered shooting; no USB-C or faster wired options here.

The Lens Ecosystem: Fixed Versus Interchangeable

The Olympus has a fixed 28-112 mm f/1.8-2.5 lens, a versatile all-in-one zoom but limited to that range and optical qualities.

The Panasonic uses the Micro Four Thirds mount - one of the richest ecosystems with over 100 lenses (prime and zoom), from affordable primes to high-end Leica-branded optics. This unlocks countless creative avenues, from superwide landscapes to super-telephoto wildlife lenses.

If you like experimenting with focal lengths or plan to grow your system, the GX8 is the obvious choice. For minimalism and simplicity, the XZ-2 works well.

Pricing and Value: What Are You Really Getting For Your Money?

At launch, the XZ-2 iHS came in just under $450, catering to enthusiasts wanting a quality compact with manual control. The Panasonic GX8 approached $900 body-only - reflecting its advanced feature set and flexibility.

Considering the specs and performance, you get what you pay for:

• For under $500, the Olympus is a solid pick for casual use, travel, street shooting, and macro fun where portability is paramount.
• For just under $900, the GX8 delivers a full-featured system, superior sensor, faster AF, 4K video, and pro-level control - suited to serious enthusiasts and professionals investing in a long-term kit.

Summarizing the Strengths and Weaknesses

Visual Proof: Sample Images and Performance Scores

Let’s take a look at sample image galleries from both cameras to see how they translate into real-world photography:

Olympus XZ 2 iHS front Olympus XZ 2 iHS screen back Panasonic GX8 front Panasonic GX8 screen back

Notice how the GX8 delivers richer detail, better color gradations, and less noise, especially in shadows. Meanwhile, the Olympus holds its own in daylight with punchy color, but with less subtlety.

Performance aggregations reinforce the experiential insights:

And genre-specific scores illuminate their use-case niches:

Final Thoughts: Which Camera Should You Choose?

If you want a compact camera you can carry everywhere with confidence, that still offers manual control and respectable image quality, the Olympus XZ-2 iHS remains an attractive choice. It’s a "grab-and-go" companion perfect for travel, street, and casual macro work.

If your photography demands higher image quality, more versatility, faster autofocus, and professional video, the Panasonic GX8 is a complete system with a thriving lens ecosystem and advanced features that justify its higher price. It suits portrait, landscape, wildlife, sports, and video hybrid shooters needing performance and flexibility.

Who Is Each Camera For?

• Olympus XZ-2 iHS: Beginners stepping up from smartphone photography; street photographers craving stealth; travelers wanting simplicity; macro enthusiasts on the move.
• Panasonic GX8: Enthusiasts upgrading to interchangeable lenses; professionals needing reliable autofocus and 4K video; landscape and wildlife photographers demanding image quality; vloggers and hybrid shooters.

Choosing between these two cameras ultimately hinges on your photographic priorities. Do you crave portability, simplicity, and moderate image quality? Or advanced control, sensor performance, and system expansion?

Either way, both cameras come from respected brands with proven track records and deliver solid performance in their realms. I encourage you to consider what kinds of photos - and videos - you want to make, then choose the tool that best helps you capture your vision.

If you want more in-depth hands-on testing and image samples, please check my detailed video review and shooting tests linked above. Happy shooting!