Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic XS1

Here, we will be analyzing the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic XS1, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and XS1 (16MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and XS1 (1/2.3") offer different sensor size.

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The XZ-2 iHS was manufactured at a similar time to the XS1 and they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the XZ-2 iHS matches up versus the XS1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Panasonic XS1 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera often, you will need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS has physical dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") along with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) while the Panasonic XS1 has measurements of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") having a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Examine the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic XS1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you use at that moment. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the XZ-2 iHS and the XS1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and XS1 is 85 and 97 respectively.

Quite often, it's difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes merely by looking through technical specs. The image below might offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-2 iHS and XS1.

As you can tell, both of those cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The XZ-2 iHS due to its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic XS1 will provide you with greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively.