Panasonic S1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill

Below is a in-depth comparison of the Panasonic S1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Sigma. There is a considerable difference between the sensor resolutions of the S1 (24MP) and DP2 Merrill (15MP) and the S1 (Full frame) and DP2 Merrill (APS-C) offer totally different sensor size.

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The S1 was introduced 7 years later than the DP2 Merrill and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Panasonic S1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sigma DP2 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going into a detailed comparison, here is a brief view of how the S1 matches up vs the DP2 Merrill in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 & Sigma DP2 Merrill. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic S1 Gallery & Sigma DP2 Merrill Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic S1 enjoys outer measurements of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") and a weight of 1021 grams (2.25 lbs) and the Sigma DP2 Merrill has dimensions of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") and a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic S1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the S1 vs the DP2 Merrill.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the S1 and DP2 Merrill is 54 and 83 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to envision the gap between sensor measurements merely by checking technical specs. The graphic below will help give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the S1 and DP2 Merrill.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The S1 with its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic S1 will give you greater detail using its extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images more aggressively. The fresher S1 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.