Canon XS vs Olympus XZ-2

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Canon XS vs Olympus XZ-2

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APS-C 328.6mm²
10.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 1600

Go in depth with our full Canon XS Review.
See real-world photos taken with the XS.

1/1.7 inch 43.3mm²
12.0 megapixels
28.00mm - 112.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Olympus XZ-2 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the XZ-2.

Succeeded by the Canon T3
Compare XS vs T3
Compare Canon T3 vs Olympus XZ-2

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Differences

Canon XS advantages over Olympus XZ-2

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 1/1.7 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Eye-level viewfinder
Eye-level vs Rear display only
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Bigger pixels
~ 5.71 vs 1.92 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.30 vs 1.8 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

500 vs 310 shots
Capture more photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
7 vs 4 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/4000 vs 1/2000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Olympus XZ-2 advantages over Canon XS

Less expensive
$600 vs $700 (MSRP)
Save money for lenses or accessories
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Integrated ND filter
Yes vs No
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
HDMI out
HDMI out vs None
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
More dots on screen
920k vs 230k dots
Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
Shoots 1080p video
Yes vs No
You'll want this if you shoot video
More pixels
12.0 vs 10.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
5.0 fps vs 2.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
12800 vs 1600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Focus peaking
Neither provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Built-in Wi-Fi
Neither provide
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Neither provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

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Buy the Canon XS

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Buy the Olympus XZ-2

Olympus XZ-2

Review Excerpt

Read our Canon XS Full Review

Good image quality for its class; Fast, bright f/1.8-2.5 i.ZUIKO 4x zoom lens; Dual-purpose front Control Ring lets you select aperture or focus manually; three-inch articulating LCD touch-screen monitor.
Pricier than many enthusiast compacts; Image detail starts dropping off at ISO 800 and noise becomes problematic at ISO 3200; Lens cover pops off as zoom lens extends, when you turn the camera on.
Read our Olympus XZ-2 Express Review

The Competition

Compared to Pentax K200D

Canon XS

Pentax K200D

$440
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$800
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon XS vs Pentax K200D

Olympus XZ-2

Pentax K200D

$470
1/1.7 inch

Less expensive
Touchscreen

$800
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus XZ-2 vs Pentax K200D

Compared to Sony DSLR-A230

Canon XS

Sony DSLR-A230

$440
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Canon XS vs Sony DSLR-A230

Olympus XZ-2

Sony DSLR-A230

$470
1/1.7 inch

Touchscreen
In-camera panoramas

$549
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus XZ-2 vs Sony DSLR-A230

Compared to Nikon D3000

Canon XS

Nikon D3000

$440
APS-C

Fast startup
Less shutter lag

$450
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Canon XS vs Nikon D3000

Olympus XZ-2

Nikon D3000

$470
1/1.7 inch

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$450
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus XZ-2 vs Nikon D3000

Compared to Pentax MX-1

Canon XS

Pentax MX-1

$440
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$399
1/1.7 inch

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon XS vs Pentax MX-1

Olympus XZ-2

Pentax MX-1

$470
1/1.7 inch

Touchscreen
Hot shoe

$399
1/1.7 inch

Less expensive
Shoots 60p video

Compare Olympus XZ-2 vs Pentax MX-1

Compared to Canon G16

Canon XS

Canon G16

$440
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$499
1/1.7 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon XS vs Canon G16

Olympus XZ-2

Canon G16

$470
1/1.7 inch

Touchscreen
In-camera panoramas

$499
1/1.7 inch

Focus peaking
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus XZ-2 vs Canon G16

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