Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony a5100

The following is a in depth overview of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony a5100, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and a5100 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The XZ-2 iHS was unveiled 20 months before the a5100 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short summation of how the XZ-2 iHS scores versus the a5100 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony Alpha a5100. The full galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Sony a5100 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera regularly, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS offers physical 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) while the Sony a5100 has sizing of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") having a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony a5100 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at the time. Here is the front view size comparison of the XZ-2 iHS vs the a5100.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-2 iHS and a5100 is 85 and 89 respectively.

Usually, its tough to envision the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by reading through a spec sheet. The pic below should offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-2 iHS and a5100.

As you can see, both of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-2 iHS using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Sony a5100 will give you greater detail having an extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more aged XZ-2 iHS is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.