Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony RX100 III

Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Sony RX100 III, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference between the resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and RX100 III (20MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and RX100 III (1") have different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-2 iHS was announced 17 months before the RX100 III making them a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 III being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting right into a in depth comparison, here is a short highlight of how the XZ-2 iHS scores vs the RX100 III with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Sony RX100 III Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS has external dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") having a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) and the Sony RX100 III has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") and a weight of 290 grams (0.64 lbs).

Look at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS versus Sony RX100 III in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Following is a front view size comparison of the XZ-2 iHS versus the RX100 III.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-2 iHS and RX100 III is 85 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to picture the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reading a spec sheet. The visual below will give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-2 iHS and RX100 III.

As you can see, each of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The XZ-2 iHS using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Sony RX100 III will offer you more detail with its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics more aggressively. The older XZ-2 iHS is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.