Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K-50

Below is a extensive analysis of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Pentax K-50, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a significant difference among the resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and K-50 (16MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and K-50 (APS-C) provide different sensor size.

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The XZ-2 iHS was unveiled 11 months earlier than the K-50 and they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-50 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go into a complete comparison, here is a brief summation of how the XZ-2 iHS grades vs the K-50 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Pentax K-50. The full galleries are available at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Pentax K-50 Gallery.

If you're intending to lug around your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS offers outer dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") and a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) while the Pentax K-50 has specifications of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Check out the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Pentax K-50 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you select at that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the XZ-2 iHS versus the K-50.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-2 iHS and K-50 is 85 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it can be hard to imagine the difference in sensor measurements just by looking through specifications. The graphic below will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-2 iHS and K-50.

To sum up, both of those cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The XZ-2 iHS using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-50 will result in more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images more aggressively. The older XZ-2 iHS will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.