Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic SZ5

Lets take a more detailed look at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic SZ5, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the SZ5 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and SZ5 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The XZ-2 iHS was launched 6 months later than the SZ5 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before diving straight to a complete comparison, here is a simple view of how the XZ-2 iHS grades against the SZ5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The complete galleries are available at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS provides external measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") accompanied by a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ5 has dimensions of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") with a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Examine the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic SZ5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use during that time. Below is a front view size comparison of the XZ-2 iHS versus the SZ5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and SZ5 is 85 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to envision the contrast in sensor measurements just by seeing specs. The photograph below might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-2 iHS and SZ5.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The XZ-2 iHS because of its larger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic SZ5 will produce greater detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos a bit more aggressively.