Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Sony A55

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony A55, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference among the sensor resolutions of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and A55 (16MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and A55 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-2 iHS was announced 2 years later than the A55 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the XZ-2 iHS grades against the A55 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony SLT-A55. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery and Sony A55 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS provides physical dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") having a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) while the Sony A55 has sizing of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") along with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Sony A55 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at the time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the XZ-2 iHS vs the A55.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-2 iHS and A55 is 85 and 67 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to picture the difference in sensor measurements simply by viewing a spec sheet. The graphic below may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-2 iHS and A55.

As you can see, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The XZ-2 iHS with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony A55 will provide you with more detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images way more aggressively. The more modern XZ-2 iHS provides an edge when it comes to sensor tech.