Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II

Following is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and K-3 II (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizing.

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The XZ-2 iHS was unveiled 3 years earlier than the K-3 II which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick overview of how the XZ-2 iHS scores against the K-3 II for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-2 iHS & Pentax K-3 II. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery & Pentax K-3 II Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS features physical dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") accompanied by a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 II has sizing of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select at that moment. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the XZ-2 iHS vs the K-3 II.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and K-3 II is 85 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, it's tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizes only by researching a spec sheet. The pic below will help offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-2 iHS and K-3 II.

Clearly, each of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The XZ-2 iHS having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Pentax K-3 II will render more detail having an extra 12MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The more aged XZ-2 iHS will be behind in sensor tech.