Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S2
85 Imaging
52 Features
76 Overall
61


96 Imaging
37 Features
29 Overall
33
Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S2 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 420g - 122 x 69 x 37mm
- Revealed October 2013
- Replaced the Olympus E-P3
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-112mm (F3.1-6.5) lens
- 112g - 98 x 57 x 21mm
- Announced January 2012

Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S2 Overview
Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus E-P5 and Panasonic S2, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-P5 (16MP) and the S2 (14MP) is very close but the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and S2 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

The E-P5 was announced 22 months later than the S2 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera.
Before diving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-P5 matches up against the S2 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S2 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-P5 Gallery & Panasonic S2 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P5 over the Panasonic S2
E-P5 | S2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | October 2013 | ![]() | January 2012 | Fresher by 22 months |
Focus manually | ![]() | More exact focus | ||
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper display (+807k dot) |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Panasonic S2 over the Olympus E-P5
S2 | E-P5 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-P5 and Panasonic S2
E-P5 | S2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither contains selfie screen |
Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S2 Physical Comparison
In case you're planning to carry your camera often, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P5 has got exterior dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) while the Panasonic S2 has proportions 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-P5 and Panasonic S2 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-P5 versus the S2.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P5 and S2 is 85 and 96 respectively.

Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S2 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it's tough to envision the gap in sensor sizing merely by researching specs. The graphic underneath should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P5 and S2.
All in all, both the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-P5 having a larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-P5 will provide you with greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics far more aggressively. The newer E-P5 will have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S2 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S2 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-P5 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model | Olympus PEN E-P5 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
Revealed | 2013-10-03 | 2012-01-09 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 14 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4320 x 3240 |
Highest native ISO | 25600 | 6400 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Number of focus points | 35 | 23 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 28-112mm (4.0x) |
Maximal aperture | - | f/3.1-6.5 |
Macro focus range | - | 5cm |
Amount of lenses | 107 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3" | 2.7" |
Resolution of screen | 1,037k dots | 230k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Screen tech | 3:2 LCD capacitive touchscreen | TFT Color LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 8 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/1600 secs |
Continuous shooting rate | 9.0 frames per sec | 2.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 7.00 m (ISO 100) | 3.30 m |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (1st or 2nd curtain), Manual (1/1 - 1/64) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/320 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video file format | H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 420 grams (0.93 lb) | 112 grams (0.25 lb) |
Dimensions | 122 x 69 x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") | 98 x 57 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 72 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 22.8 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.4 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 895 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 330 shots | 280 shots |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Card slots | Single | Single |
Cost at launch | $389 | $109 |