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Panasonic S2 vs Pentax 645Z

Portability
96
Imaging
37
Features
29
Overall
33
Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 front
 
Pentax 645Z front
Portability
49
Imaging
80
Features
74
Overall
77

Panasonic S2 vs Pentax 645Z Key Specs

Panasonic S2
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-112mm (F3.1-6.5) lens
  • 112g - 98 x 57 x 21mm
  • Launched January 2012
Pentax 645Z
(Full Review)
  • 51MP - Medium format Sensor
  • 3.2" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 204800
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax 645AF2 Mount
  • 1550g - 156 x 117 x 123mm
  • Introduced April 2014
  • Succeeded the Pentax 645D
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Panasonic S2 vs Pentax 645Z Overview

Following is a in depth assessment of the Panasonic S2 versus Pentax 645Z, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Pro DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the S2 (14MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the S2 (1/2.3") and 645Z (Medium format) boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The S2 was manufactured 3 years prior to the 645Z which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the S2 matches up against the 645Z when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Panasonic S2 over the Pentax 645Z

 S2 645Z 

Reasons to pick Pentax 645Z over the Panasonic S2

 645Z S2 
IntroducedApril 2014January 2012More modern by 27 months
Manually focus Very accurate focusing
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimensions3.2"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Screen resolution1037k230kCrisper screen (+807k dot)

Common features in the Panasonic S2 and Pentax 645Z

 S2 645Z 
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch screen Neither has Touch screen

Panasonic S2 vs Pentax 645Z Physical Comparison

In case you're looking to carry around your camera often, you should consider its weight and size. The Panasonic S2 has external measurements of 98mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") with a weight of 112 grams (0.25 lbs) while the Pentax 645Z has specifications of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") accompanied by a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic S2 versus Pentax 645Z in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at the time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the S2 against the 645Z.

Panasonic S2 vs Pentax 645Z size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S2 and 645Z is 96 and 49 respectively.

Panasonic S2 vs Pentax 645Z top view buttons comparison

Panasonic S2 vs Pentax 645Z Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it can be tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizes just by looking at specifications. The picture underneath will give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the S2 and 645Z.

To sum up, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The S2 featuring a tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Pentax 645Z will give greater detail due to its extra 37 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures more aggressively. The more aged S2 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.

Panasonic S2 vs Pentax 645Z sensor size comparison

Panasonic S2 vs Pentax 645Z Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic S2 vs Pentax 645Z Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic S2 Portrait photography information
Pentax 645Z Portrait photography information
33
good megapixels (14MP)
comes with face detection focus
manual focus not available
manual exposure not possible
external flash not possible
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
88
manual focus
great MP (51MP)
sensor size is big (Medium format)
comes with face detection autofocus
saves RAW formats
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Panasonic S2 as a Street photography camera
Pentax 645Z as a Street photography camera
63
has image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition in class (112g)
no articulating screen
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
63
has a tilting screen
sensor size is big (Medium format)
saves RAW formats
environment proof
very good ISO range (204,800)
no image stabilization
more heavy than competition (1,550 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Panasonic S2
Sports photography with Pentax 645Z
39
has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
better than average battery life (280 shots)
painfully slow continuous shooting (2.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
71
great MP (51 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Medium format)
comes with tracking autofocus
environment proof
comes with phase detect autofocus
max fps low (3.0 fps)
no image stabilization
bad battery (650 shots)
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic S2 Travel photography details
Pentax 645Z Travel photography details
70
better than average battery life (280 shots)
lighter than competition in class (112g)
good megapixels (14MP)
built-in flash
decently wide (28mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
does not have selfie friendly display
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.1)
51
environment proof
great MP (51 megapixels)
bad battery (650 shots)
more heavy than competition (1,550g)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Panasonic S2
Landscape photography with Pentax 645Z
41
decently wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
better than average battery life (280 shots)
manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.1)
small screen (2.7 inches)
manual exposure not possible
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
doesn't have Time Lapse function
78
manual focus
swap lenses (Pentax 645AF2 mount)
screen is a decent size (3.2")
great MP (51MP)
sensor size is big (Medium format)
doesnt have anti aliasing filter
very good ISO range (204,800)
saves RAW formats
environment proof
has double storage slots
no image stabilization
bad battery (650 per charge)
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Panasonic S2
Vlogging with Pentax 645Z
32
decently wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
comes with face detection focus
lighter than competition in class (112g)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.1)
does not have selfie friendly display
video resolution low (1280 x 720 resolution)
doesn't have external mic jack
27
comes with face detection autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
does have external microphone port
screen is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
more heavy than competition (1,550g)
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Panasonic S2 vs Pentax 645Z Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic S2 and Pentax 645Z
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2Pentax 645Z
General Information
Manufacturer Panasonic Pentax
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 Pentax 645Z
Class Small Sensor Compact Pro DSLR
Launched 2012-01-09 2014-04-15
Body design Compact Large SLR
Sensor Information
Powered by - PRIME III
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" Medium format
Sensor measurements 6.08 x 4.56mm 44 x 33mm
Sensor area 27.7mm² 1,452.0mm²
Sensor resolution 14 megapixels 51 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 4:3
Maximum resolution 4320 x 3240 8256 x 6192
Maximum native ISO 6400 204800
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW files
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 23 27
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Pentax 645AF2
Lens zoom range 28-112mm (4.0x) -
Maximum aperture f/3.1-6.5 -
Macro focusing distance 5cm -
Number of lenses - 6
Focal length multiplier 5.9 0.8
Screen
Range of screen Fixed Type Tilting
Screen diagonal 2.7" 3.2"
Resolution of screen 230k dot 1,037k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen tech TFT Color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage - 98 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.85x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 8 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/1600 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 2.0 frames/s 3.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 3.30 m no built-in flash
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction Flash On, Flash On+Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync+Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, contrast-control-sync, high-speed sync, wireless sync
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash sync - 1/125 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p,24p)
Maximum video resolution 1280x720 1920x1080
Video data format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS None Optional
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 112g (0.25 pounds) 1550g (3.42 pounds)
Physical dimensions 98 x 57 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") 156 x 117 x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 101
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 26.0
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 14.7
DXO Low light rating not tested 4505
Other
Battery life 280 photos 650 photos
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - D-LI90
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 secs)
Time lapse recording
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots
Storage slots Single Two
Pricing at launch $109 $5,024