Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony A300

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony A300, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the A300 (10MP) is fairly well matched but the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and A300 (APS-C) provide different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-2 iHS was introduced 4 years after the A300 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the XZ-2 iHS grades versus the A300 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Sony A300 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS has got exterior measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") and a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) whilst the Sony A300 has dimensions of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

See the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony A300 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you use at the time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the XZ-2 iHS and the A300.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-2 iHS and A300 is 85 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it's tough to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions simply by looking at a spec sheet. The picture here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-2 iHS and A300.

As you can see, both the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-2 iHS with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus XZ-2 iHS will resolve more detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics way more aggressively. The younger XZ-2 iHS provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.