Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K100D

Let's look more closely at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K100D, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap between the resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and K100D (6MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and K100D (APS-C) posses different sensor measurements.

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The XZ-2 iHS was announced 6 years later than the K100D and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax K100D being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the XZ-2 iHS grades against the K100D with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-2 iHS & Pentax K100D. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery & Pentax K100D Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS has exterior dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") having a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) and the Pentax K100D has dimensions of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax K100D in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the XZ-2 iHS compared to the K100D.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and K100D is 85 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to picture the contrast between sensor measurements just by reviewing specifications. The visual below should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-2 iHS and K100D.

To sum up, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The XZ-2 iHS having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Olympus XZ-2 iHS will offer you extra detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics more aggressively. The more modern XZ-2 iHS should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.