Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic S2

Let's look much closer at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic S2, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the S2 (14MP) is relatively well matched but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and S2 (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL5 was released 9 months after the S2 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a complete comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-PL5 matches up vs the S2 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Panasonic S2 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera, you will want to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 offers physical dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S2 has proportions of 98mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") with a weight of 112 grams (0.25 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic S2 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL5 and the S2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and S2 is 88 and 96 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to visualize the difference between sensor sizes just by reading through specifications. The pic below may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and S2.

Plainly, both the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL5 because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL5 will give more detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more recent E-PL5 provides an advantage in sensor tech.