Panasonic S1 vs Sony RX100 II

Here is a thorough review of the Panasonic S1 and Sony RX100 II, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the S1 (24MP) and the RX100 II (20MP) is fairly similar but the S1 (Full frame) and RX100 II (1") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The S1 was announced 5 years later than the RX100 II and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic S1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving in to a full comparison, below is a short introduction of how the S1 grades vs the RX100 II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic S1 Gallery and Sony RX100 II Gallery.

If you're looking to carry your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic S1 features physical dimensions of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") with a weight of 1021 grams (2.25 lbs) whilst the Sony RX100 II has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 281 grams (0.62 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic S1 and Sony RX100 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select at that moment. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the S1 vs the RX100 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the S1 and RX100 II is 54 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizing simply by going over a spec sheet. The graphic below should offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the S1 and RX100 II.

As you can see, both of those cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The S1 using its larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic S1 will offer more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics far more aggressively. The newer S1 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.