Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-F3

The following is a extended analysis of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony NEX-F3, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and NEX-F3 (16MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and NEX-F3 (APS-C) use totally different sensor measurements.

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The XZ-2 iHS was released 5 months after the NEX-F3 and they are of a similar generation. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-F3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight into a full comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the XZ-2 iHS scores against the NEX-F3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony Alpha NEX-F3. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Sony NEX-F3 Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS comes with physical 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-F3 has dimensions of 117mm x 67mm x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 314 grams (0.69 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony NEX-F3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the XZ-2 iHS versus the NEX-F3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and NEX-F3 is 85 and 86 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions only by reviewing technical specs. The image below will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-2 iHS and NEX-F3.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-2 iHS due to its tinier sensor will make getting bokeh trickier and the Sony NEX-F3 will offer you more detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a little more aggressively.