Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic S2

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic S2, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the image resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and S2 (14MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and S2 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-520 was introduced 4 years prior to the S2 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-520 scores vs the S2 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-520 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Panasonic S2 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-520 provides exterior dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S2 has measurements of 98mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 112 grams (0.25 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic S2 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use during that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-520 versus the S2.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-520 and S2 is 68 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to envision the contrast between sensor sizes simply by reading through specs. The picture underneath should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-520 and S2.

All in all, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-520 having a larger sensor will make getting shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic S2 will resolve extra detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics more aggressively. The more aged E-520 is going to be behind in sensor technology.