Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-C3

Lets look closer at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony NEX-C3, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and NEX-C3 (16MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and NEX-C3 (APS-C) boast different sensor size.

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The XZ-2 iHS was released 17 months later than the NEX-C3 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-C3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the XZ-2 iHS scores against the NEX-C3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Sony NEX-C3 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS offers exterior dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") accompanied by a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) and the Sony NEX-C3 has measurements of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).

Examine the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony NEX-C3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have at the time. Following is a front view size comparison of the XZ-2 iHS against the NEX-C3.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and NEX-C3 is 85 and 91 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to visualize the gap in sensor measurements just by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-2 iHS and NEX-C3.

As you can see, each of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The XZ-2 iHS featuring a smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh harder and the Sony NEX-C3 will show greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots way more aggressively. The newer XZ-2 iHS provides a benefit with regard to sensor tech.