Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S2

Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus E-M1 II versus Panasonic S2, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and S2 (14MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and S2 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizing.

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The E-M1 II was released 4 years later than the S2 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a full comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-M1 II grades against the S2 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II & Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery & Panasonic S2 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1 II has physical dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) and the Panasonic S2 has sizing of 98mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 112 grams (0.25 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M1 II versus Panasonic S2 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-M1 II against the S2.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 II and S2 is 68 and 96 respectively.

Often, it is very difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizing only by seeing specs. The graphic below may provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 II and S2.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 II due to its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 II will show greater detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images way more aggressively. The more recent E-M1 II should have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.