Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic S2

Here is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic S2, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and S2 (14MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and S2 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-3 was brought out 4 years prior to the S2 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a complete comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the E-3 grades vs the S2 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Panasonic S2 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera, you have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-3 comes with physical measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Panasonic S2 has sizing of 98mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 112 grams (0.25 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic S2 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-3 compared to the S2.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and S2 is 56 and 96 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to envision the gap in sensor sizing purely by researching specifications. The graphic underneath will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-3 and S2.

To sum up, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-3 due to its bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic S2 will result in greater detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older E-3 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.