Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5R

The following is a in depth comparison of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony NEX-5R, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference among the sensor resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and NEX-5R (APS-C) have totally different sensor measurements.

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The XZ-2 iHS was manufactured 4 months after the NEX-5R so they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short summation of how the XZ-2 iHS matches up versus the NEX-5R with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS offers outside dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") having a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5R has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Compare the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony NEX-5R in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are using during that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the XZ-2 iHS compared to the NEX-5R.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and NEX-5R is 85 and 89 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by going through specifications. The image below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-2 iHS and NEX-5R.

Plainly, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-2 iHS because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Sony NEX-5R will produce extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos way more aggressively.