Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony A850

Its time to examine more closely at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Sony A850, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference between the image resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and A850 (25MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and A850 (Full frame) feature different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-2 iHS was announced 2 years after the A850 which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go through a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the XZ-2 iHS grades against the A850 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-2 iHS & Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery & Sony A850 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS enjoys exterior measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") accompanied by a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) whilst the Sony A850 has specifications of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Check out the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Sony A850 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at that moment. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the XZ-2 iHS versus the A850.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and A850 is 85 and 54 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions simply by going over technical specs. The picture underneath may give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-2 iHS and A850.

As you can tell, each of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-2 iHS with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony A850 will offer more detail with its extra 13MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The newer XZ-2 iHS provides an advantage with regard to sensor technology.