Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic LZ40

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic LZ40, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and LZ40 (20MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and LZ40 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-2 iHS was released 12 months prior to the LZ40 so they are of a similar age. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the XZ-2 iHS grades against the LZ40 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-2 iHS & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ40. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery & Panasonic LZ40 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS provides outside 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 LZ40 has sizing of 126mm x 87mm x 94mm (5.0" x 3.4" x 3.7") and a weight of 524 grams (1.16 lbs).

Look at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic LZ40 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is the front view size comparison of the XZ-2 iHS compared to the LZ40.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and LZ40 is 85 and 67 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to envision the difference between sensor dimensions simply by checking specs. The pic underneath might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-2 iHS and LZ40.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-2 iHS because of its larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic LZ40 will give you more detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The more aged XZ-2 iHS is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.