Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic S2

The following is a detailed analysis of the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic S2, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL2 (12MP) and the S2 (14MP) is relatively close but the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and S2 (1/2.3") use different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL2 was launched 11 months before the S2 and they are of a similar age. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-PL2 scores versus the S2 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery & Panasonic S2 Gallery.

When you are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL2 comes with outside dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) whilst 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).

See the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic S2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Following is the front view size comparison of the E-PL2 versus the S2.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL2 and S2 is 85 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to picture the difference in sensor dimensions purely by researching specs. The pic here should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL2 and S2.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL2 because of its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic S2 will result in more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-PL2 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.