Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Pentax ist DS2

Below is a thorough overview of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Pentax ist DS2, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and ist DS2 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-2 iHS was revealed 7 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going through a detailed comparison, below is a concise view of how the XZ-2 iHS grades vs the ist DS2 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 ist DS2. The full galleries are available at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera often, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS provides exterior measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") along with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Examine the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Pentax ist DS2 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the XZ-2 iHS compared to the ist DS2.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and ist DS2 is 85 and 68 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to envision the gap between sensor measurements only by reading through specs. The visual underneath might give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-2 iHS and ist DS2.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The XZ-2 iHS using its tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh harder and the Olympus XZ-2 iHS will resolve more detail because of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The newer XZ-2 iHS is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.