Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony RX100 V

Here is a complete review of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony RX100 V, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and RX100 V (20MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and RX100 V (1") boast different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-2 iHS was released 4 years earlier than the RX100 V and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 V being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving into a thorough comparison, here is a simple summation of how the XZ-2 iHS matches up vs the RX100 V in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Sony RX100 V Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera regularly, you will need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS has outer measurements 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 RX100 V has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

Compare the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony RX100 V in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have attached at that time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the XZ-2 iHS versus the RX100 V.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-2 iHS and RX100 V is 85 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to imagine the gap between sensor sizing only by reading a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-2 iHS and RX100 V.

Clearly, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The XZ-2 iHS because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony RX100 V will offer you greater detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The older XZ-2 iHS is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.