Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony HX200V

Below is a in depth comparison of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony HX200V, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and HX200V (18MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and HX200V (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizing.

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The XZ-2 iHS was introduced 8 months later than the HX200V and they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony HX200V being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief summary of how the XZ-2 iHS matches up vs the HX200V with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-2 iHS & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V. The whole galleries are available at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery & Sony HX200V Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS has exterior measurements 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 HX200V has sizing of 122mm x 87mm x 93mm (4.8" x 3.4" x 3.7") with a weight of 583 grams (1.29 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony HX200V in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the XZ-2 iHS compared to the HX200V.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-2 iHS and HX200V is 85 and 66 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to envision the gap in sensor measurements purely by seeing specs. The photograph here should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-2 iHS and HX200V.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The XZ-2 iHS with its larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony HX200V will show extra detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more recent XZ-2 iHS will have an advantage in sensor innovation.