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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1

Portability
85
Imaging
37
Features
67
Overall
49
Olympus XZ-2 iHS front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 front
Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
17
Overall
27

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1 Key Specs

Olympus XZ-2 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-112mm (F1.8-2.5) lens
  • 346g - 113 x 65 x 48mm
  • Released December 2012
Panasonic ZR1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-200mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 158g - 98 x 55 x 26mm
  • Released July 2009
  • Additionally referred to as Lumix DMC-ZX1
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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1 Overview

Following is a in-depth overview of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the ZR1 (12MP) is pretty close but the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and ZR1 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

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The XZ-2 iHS was brought out 3 years after the ZR1 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a short summary of how the XZ-2 iHS matches up vs the ZR1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus XZ-2 iHS over the Panasonic ZR1

 XZ-2 iHS ZR1 
ReleasedDecember 2012July 2009More modern by 42 months
Manually focus Very accurate focusing
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen sizing3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution920k230kClearer screen (+690k dot)
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZR1 over the Olympus XZ-2 iHS

 ZR1 XZ-2 iHS 

Common features in the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic ZR1

 XZ-2 iHS ZR1 
Selfie screen No selfie screen

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera, you'll need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS enjoys 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 ZR1 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check out the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is the front view dimension comparison of the XZ-2 iHS and the ZR1.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1 size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and ZR1 is 85 and 94 respectively.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, its difficult to envision the gap in sensor sizes just by viewing technical specs. The picture here should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-2 iHS and ZR1.

As you can tell, both of the cameras enjoy the same exact resolution albeit not the same sensor sizes. The XZ-2 iHS features the bigger sensor which will make getting shallow DOF less difficult. The more recent XZ-2 iHS is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1 sensor size comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus XZ-2 iHS
Portrait photography with Panasonic ZR1
46
focusing manually
comes with face detect focusing
saves RAW files
MP count low (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/1.7")
21
no manual focus
manual exposure not possible
external flash not possible
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Street photography advice
Panasonic ZR1 Street photography advice
66
screen tilts up and down
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
saves RAW files
tiny sensor (1/1.7")
more heavy than competitors in class (346 grams)
56
has image stabilization (Optical)
fixed screen
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus XZ-2 iHS
Sports photography with Panasonic ZR1
43
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
comes with tracking focus
good battery (340 shots)
MP count low (12MP)
tiny sensor (1/1.7")
lack of phase detect AF
25
has image stabilization (Optical)
max frames per second low (2.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS as a Travel photography camera
Panasonic ZR1 as a Travel photography camera
61
good battery (340 shots)
built-in flash
really wide (28mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
missing Timelapse recording
more heavy than competitors in class (346g)
MP count low (12MP)
screen isn't selfie friendly
57
flash built-in
pretty wide (25mm)
missing Timelapse recording
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Landscape photography factors
Panasonic ZR1 Landscape photography factors
55
focusing manually
really wide (28mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
screen size is decent (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
saves RAW files
good battery (340 shots)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
MP count low (12MP)
tiny sensor (1/1.7")
missing Timelapse recording
32
pretty wide (25mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
small screen (2.7")
manual exposure not possible
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
missing Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Vlogging information
Panasonic ZR1 Vlogging information
36
really wide (28mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
built-in touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
comes with face detect focusing
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does have microphone support
screen isn't selfie friendly
more heavy than competitors in class (346g)
28
pretty wide (25mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
screen isn't selfie friendly
low video resolution (1280 x 720 pxls)
missing external microphone port
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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZR1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic ZR1
 Olympus XZ-2 iHSPanasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus XZ-2 iHS Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1
Also called - Lumix DMC-ZX1
Category Small Sensor Compact Small Sensor Compact
Released 2012-12-18 2009-07-27
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Chip - Venus Engine V
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/1.7" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 7.44 x 5.58mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 41.5mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 12MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 3968 x 2976 4000 x 3000
Max native ISO 12800 6400
Minimum native ISO 100 80
RAW format
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Number of focus points 35 11
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 28-112mm (4.0x) 25-200mm (8.0x)
Max aperture f/1.8-2.5 f/3.3-5.9
Macro focus distance 1cm 3cm
Focal length multiplier 4.8 5.9
Screen
Range of screen Tilting Fixed Type
Screen size 3 inches 2.7 inches
Resolution of screen 920k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) None
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 60s
Highest shutter speed 1/2000s 1/2000s
Continuous shooting speed - 2.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 8.60 m (ISO 800) 5.10 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 346g (0.76 lb) 158g (0.35 lb)
Dimensions 113 x 65 x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") 98 x 55 x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 49 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 20.4 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 11.3 not tested
DXO Low light score 216 not tested
Other
Battery life 340 images -
Form of battery Battery Pack -
Battery model Li-90B -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC card, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Cost at launch $450 $280