Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic S2

Here, we will be looking at the Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic S2, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and S2 (14MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and S2 (1/2.3") posses different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was manufactured 5 years before the S2 which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-510 matches up vs the S2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-510 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Panasonic S2 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-510 features physical measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) while the Panasonic S2 has sizing of 98mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 112 grams (0.25 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic S2 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-510 vs the S2.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and S2 is 69 and 96 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to picture the difference between sensor sizes merely by reading through a spec sheet. The picture underneath might provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-510 and S2.

As you can see, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-510 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic S2 will give extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The more aged E-510 is going to be behind in sensor tech.