Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony W550

The following is a in depth assessment of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony W550, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the W550 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and W550 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

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The XZ-2 iHS was unveiled 18 months after the W550 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going through a in depth comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the XZ-2 iHS grades against the W550 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus XZ-2 iHS & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550. The full galleries are available at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery & Sony W550 Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS offers exterior dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") along with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) whilst the Sony W550 has specifications of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).

Look at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony W550 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using during that time. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the XZ-2 iHS against the W550.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-2 iHS and W550 is 85 and 96 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to envision the contrast between sensor dimensions purely by checking technical specs. The pic below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-2 iHS and W550.

As you have seen, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-2 iHS with its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Sony W550 will resolve extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The younger XZ-2 iHS will have an edge in sensor technology.