Olympus E-410 vs Panasonic S2

Here, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-410 vs Panasonic S2, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the E-410 (10MP) and S2 (14MP) and the E-410 (Four Thirds) and S2 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-410 was announced 5 years earlier than the S2 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-410 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a concise summation of how the E-410 scores against the S2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-410 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-410 Gallery & Panasonic S2 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera, you have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-410 enjoys outer measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") with a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) while the Panasonic S2 has proportions 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-410 vs Panasonic S2 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the E-410 versus the S2.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-410 and S2 is 77 and 96 respectively.

Typically, it can be hard to see the difference in sensor measurements just by seeing specs. The photograph here might provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-410 and S2.

All in all, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-410 with its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic S2 will show more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The older E-410 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.