Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-5 II

Lets take a more detailed look at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Pentax K-5 II, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and K-5 II (16MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and K-5 II (APS-C) enjoy different sensor measurements.

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The XZ-2 iHS was revealed 5 months prior to the K-5 II and they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving in to a full comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the XZ-2 iHS grades versus the K-5 II with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Pentax K-5 II. The full galleries are available at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS features physical dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") having a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 II has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") and a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Pentax K-5 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the XZ-2 iHS compared to the K-5 II.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-2 iHS and K-5 II is 85 and 60 respectively.

Often, its tough to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions simply by going through a spec sheet. The image below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-2 iHS and K-5 II.

Clearly, the two cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-2 iHS with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Pentax K-5 II will show greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a little more aggressively.