Panasonic S2 vs Pentax K-5 II

Below is a extended assessment of the Panasonic S2 and Pentax K-5 II, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. The resolution of the S2 (14MP) and the K-5 II (16MP) is pretty similar but the S2 (1/2.3") and K-5 II (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The S2 was announced 17 months before the K-5 II which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a short introduction of how the S2 matches up vs the K-5 II with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 and Pentax K-5 II. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic S2 Gallery and Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic S2 comes with outside dimensions of 98mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") with a weight of 112 grams (0.25 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 II has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic S2 and Pentax K-5 II in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the S2 and the K-5 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the S2 and K-5 II is 96 and 60 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to visualise the difference between sensor measurements merely by going over specifications. The visual here should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the S2 and K-5 II.

To sum up, each of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The S2 with its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF tougher and the Pentax K-5 II will offer more detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older S2 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.