Panasonic S2 vs Pentax Q-S1

Here is a extended review of the Panasonic S2 and Pentax Q-S1, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Pentax. The image resolution of the S2 (14MP) and the Q-S1 (12MP) is very well matched but the S2 (1/2.3") and Q-S1 (1/1.7") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The S2 was announced 3 years prior to the Q-S1 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera and the Pentax Q-S1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a in depth comparison, here is a short introduction of how the S2 scores vs the Q-S1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 & Pentax Q-S1. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic S2 Gallery & Pentax Q-S1 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic S2 offers physical measurements of 98mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 112 grams (0.25 lbs) while the Pentax Q-S1 has sizing of 105mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 203 grams (0.45 lbs).

See the Panasonic S2 and Pentax Q-S1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use at that moment. Following is a front view scale comparison of the S2 against the Q-S1.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the S2 and Q-S1 is 96 and 92 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizing purely by checking a spec sheet. The visual here will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the S2 and Q-S1.

Clearly, the two cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The S2 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic S2 will give extra detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older S2 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.