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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II

Portability
85
Imaging
37
Features
67
Overall
49
Olympus XZ-2 iHS front
 
Pentax K-3 II front
Portability
59
Imaging
66
Features
84
Overall
73

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II Key Specs

Olympus XZ-2 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • 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
Pentax K-3 II
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3.2" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 51200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 800g - 131 x 100 x 77mm
  • Released April 2015
  • Superseded the Pentax K-3
Photography Glossary

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II Overview

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.

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Reasons to pick Olympus XZ-2 iHS over the Pentax K-3 II

 XZ-2 iHS K-3 II 
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax K-3 II over the Olympus XZ-2 iHS

 K-3 II XZ-2 iHS 
ReleasedApril 2015December 2012More modern by 28 months
Display sizing3.2"3"Larger display (+0.2")
Display resolution1037k920kSharper display (+117k dot)

Common features in the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Pentax K-3 II

 XZ-2 iHS K-3 II 
Manual focus Very accurate focus
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II Physical Comparison

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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II size comparison

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

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II top view buttons comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II Sensor Comparison

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.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II sensor size comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS as a Portrait photography camera
Pentax K-3 II as a Portrait photography camera
46
focusing manually
supports face detect autofocus
delivers RAW files
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/1.7")
79
has manual focus
resolution is good (24MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
features face detection focus
supports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Street photography info
Pentax K-3 II Street photography info
66
screen tilts
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
delivers RAW files
sensor is tiny (1/1.7")
heavier than others in class (346 grams)
69
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
weather sealing
above average high ISO (51,200)
no moving screen
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Sports Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Sports photography details
Pentax K-3 II Sports photography details
43
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports tracking focus
good battery life (340 per charge)
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/1.7")
lacks phase detect autofocus
76
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
resolution is good (24 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
features tracking autofocus
weather sealing
has phase detect auto focus
bad battery pack (720 shots)
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus XZ-2 iHS
Travel photography with Pentax K-3 II
61
good battery life (340 per charge)
flash built-in
reasonably wide (28mm)
great max aperture (f1.8)
does not have Time Lapse recording
heavier than others in class (346 grams)
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
56
weather sealing
resolution is good (24MP)
bad battery pack (720 shots)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus XZ-2 iHS
Landscape photography with Pentax K-3 II
55
focusing manually
reasonably wide (28mm)
great max aperture (f1.8)
decent sized screen (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
delivers RAW files
good battery life (340 CIPA)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/1.7")
does not have Time Lapse recording
78
has manual focus
switch lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
pretty good screen size (3.2")
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
resolution is good (24 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
does not have anti-alias filter
above average high ISO (51,200)
supports RAW formats
weather sealing
two card slots
bad battery pack (720 per charge)
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus XZ-2 iHS
Vlogging with Pentax K-3 II
36
reasonably wide (28mm)
great max aperture (f1.8)
touchscreen enabled
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports face detect autofocus
good video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
includes mic support
does not offer selfie friendly screen
heavier than others in class (346 grams)
34
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
features face detection focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
has external mic socket
display is not selfie friendly
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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-3 II Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Pentax K-3 II
 Olympus XZ-2 iHSPentax K-3 II
General Information
Company Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus XZ-2 iHS Pentax K-3 II
Class Small Sensor Compact Advanced DSLR
Released 2012-12-18 2015-04-23
Physical type Compact Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Chip - Prime III
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/1.7" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 7.44 x 5.58mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 41.5mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 24 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 3:2
Max resolution 3968 x 2976 6016 x 4000
Max native ISO 12800 51200
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points 35 27
Cross type focus points - 25
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Pentax KAF2
Lens zoom range 28-112mm (4.0x) -
Max aperture f/1.8-2.5 -
Macro focusing range 1cm -
Amount of lenses - 151
Crop factor 4.8 1.5
Screen
Display type Tilting Fixed Type
Display sizing 3" 3.2"
Resolution of display 920 thousand dots 1,037 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.64x
Features
Min shutter speed 60s 30s
Max shutter speed 1/2000s 1/8000s
Continuous shutter rate - 8.3 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 8.60 m (ISO 800) no built-in flash
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Wireless Auto Flash Discharge, Auto Flash + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed sync, Wireless sync (available with dedicated external flash)
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Max flash synchronize - 1/180s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected Optional
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 346 gr (0.76 lb) 800 gr (1.76 lb)
Dimensions 113 x 65 x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") 131 x 100 x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 49 80
DXO Color Depth rating 20.4 23.6
DXO Dynamic range rating 11.3 13.6
DXO Low light rating 216 1106
Other
Battery life 340 shots 720 shots
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID Li-90B D-LI90
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots 1 Two
Price at release $450 $829