Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony WX1

Following is a thorough review of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony WX1, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the WX1 (10MP) is very well matched but the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and WX1 (1/2.4") come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The XZ-2 iHS was unveiled 3 years after the WX1 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony WX1 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the XZ-2 iHS scores against the WX1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Sony WX1 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS offers exterior measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) while the Sony WX1 has sizing of 91mm x 52mm x 20mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.8") having a weight of 149 grams (0.33 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony WX1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. The following is the front view size comparison of the XZ-2 iHS vs the WX1.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and WX1 is 85 and 96 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to see the difference between sensor sizes purely by checking specifications. The pic below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-2 iHS and WX1.

To sum up, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The XZ-2 iHS with its larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus XZ-2 iHS will give you more detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more recent XZ-2 iHS is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.