Clicky

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5N

Portability
85
Imaging
37
Features
67
Overall
49
Olympus XZ-2 iHS front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-5N front
Portability
89
Imaging
56
Features
69
Overall
61

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5N Key Specs

Olympus XZ-2 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-112mm (F1.8-2.5) lens
  • 346g - 113 x 65 x 48mm
  • Introduced December 2012
Sony NEX-5N
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 269g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
  • Announced October 2011
  • Previous Model is Sony NEX-5
  • Successor is Sony NEX-5R
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5N Overview

Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony NEX-5N, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and NEX-5N (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The XZ-2 iHS was brought out 15 months after the NEX-5N making them a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the XZ-2 iHS grades versus the NEX-5N in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus XZ-2 iHS over the Sony NEX-5N

 XZ-2 iHS NEX-5N 
AnnouncedDecember 2012October 2011Newer by 15 months

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5N over the Olympus XZ-2 iHS

 NEX-5N XZ-2 iHS 

Common features in the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony NEX-5N

 XZ-2 iHS NEX-5N 
Manually focus Very precise focusing
Display typeTiltingTiltingTilting display
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display sizing
Display resolution920k920kEqual display resolution
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen
Touch display Easily navigate

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5N Physical Comparison

If you are looking to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS provides external dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") along with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5N has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony NEX-5N in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the XZ-2 iHS compared to the NEX-5N.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5N size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-2 iHS and NEX-5N is 85 and 89 respectively.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5N top view buttons comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5N Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it can be difficult to visualize the gap between sensor dimensions simply by reading through specifications. The picture here should give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-2 iHS and NEX-5N.

To sum up, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-2 iHS due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-5N will resolve more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos more aggressively. The more modern XZ-2 iHS provides an advantage in sensor tech.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5N sensor size comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5N Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5N Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Portrait photography features
Sony NEX-5N Portrait photography features
46
you can focus manually
has face detect focus
delivers RAW files
low MP (12MP)
small sensor size (1/1.7")
73
manual focus
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
provides face detection focus
delivers RAW files
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Street Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Street photography advice
Sony NEX-5N Street photography advice
66
has a tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
delivers RAW files
small sensor size (1/1.7")
heavier than competition (346g)
80
screen tilts up and down
sensor size is good (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
provides touch to focus
above average ISO range (25,600)
no image stabilization
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Sports Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS as a Sports photography camera
Sony NEX-5N as a Sports photography camera
43
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has tracking focus
good battery life (340 shots)
low MP (12MP)
small sensor size (1/1.7")
no phase detect auto focus
58
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
better than average battery life (460 shots)
no image stabilization
does not have phase detect auto focus
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Travel Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Travel photography information
Sony NEX-5N Travel photography information
61
good battery life (340 shots)
built-in flash
pretty wide (28mm)
good max aperture (f1.8)
lack of Time Lapse recording
heavier than competition (346g)
low MP (12 megapixels)
does not have selfie friendly screen
70
better than average battery life (460 shots)
provides touch to focus
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
no Time Lapse function
does not have a selfie friendly screen
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Landscape Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Landscape photography details
Sony NEX-5N Landscape photography details
55
you can focus manually
pretty wide (28mm)
good max aperture (f1.8)
nice screen size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
delivers RAW files
good battery life (340 CIPA)
cannot swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
low MP (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/1.7")
lack of Time Lapse recording
71
manual focus
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
above average ISO range (25,600)
delivers RAW files
better than average battery life (460 CIPA)
no image stabilization
no Time Lapse function
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Vlogging info
Sony NEX-5N Vlogging info
36
pretty wide (28mm)
good max aperture (f1.8)
touch screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has face detect focus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
includes mic jack
does not have selfie friendly screen
heavier than competition (346g)
33
screen is touchscreen
provides face detection focus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
no image stabilization
no external mic socket
Photography Glossary

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5N Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony NEX-5N
 Olympus XZ-2 iHSSony Alpha NEX-5N
General Information
Brand Olympus Sony
Model Olympus XZ-2 iHS Sony Alpha NEX-5N
Category Small Sensor Compact Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2012-12-18 2011-10-03
Physical type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Powered by - Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/1.7" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 7.44 x 5.58mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 41.5mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 3968 x 2976 4912 x 3264
Maximum native ISO 12800 25600
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Number of focus points 35 25
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens Sony E
Lens focal range 28-112mm (4.0x) -
Maximum aperture f/1.8-2.5 -
Macro focus distance 1cm -
Number of lenses - 121
Focal length multiplier 4.8 1.5
Screen
Screen type Tilting Tilting
Screen sizing 3" 3"
Resolution of screen 920 thousand dots 920 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Screen technology - Tilt Up 80°, Down 45° TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) Electronic (optional)
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate - 10.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 8.60 m (ISO 800) 12.00 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 AVCHD
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 346g (0.76 lbs) 269g (0.59 lbs)
Physical dimensions 113 x 65 x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 49 77
DXO Color Depth score 20.4 23.6
DXO Dynamic range score 11.3 12.7
DXO Low light score 216 1079
Other
Battery life 340 pictures 460 pictures
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model Li-90B NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots Single Single
Launch price $450 $550