Panasonic S2 vs Panasonic ZS100

Below is a detailed review of the Panasonic S2 and Panasonic ZS100, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Large Sensor Compact and both of them are sold by Panasonic. There exists a significant gap among the image resolutions of the S2 (14MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the S2 (1/2.3") and ZS100 (1") enjoy different sensor dimensions.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The S2 was unveiled 5 years earlier than the ZS100 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going through a full comparison, below is a simple overview of how the S2 matches up vs the ZS100 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic S2 Gallery and Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic S2 features exterior measurements of 98mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 112 grams (0.25 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS100 has sizing of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic S2 and Panasonic ZS100 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you choose at that time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the S2 compared to the ZS100.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the S2 and ZS100 is 96 and 87 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to picture the gap in sensor measurements purely by going through technical specs. The graphic underneath should give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the S2 and ZS100.

As you can tell, each of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The S2 having a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Panasonic ZS100 will produce greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older S2 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.