Panasonic S2 vs Sony A230

Lets look more closely at the Panasonic S2 vs Sony A230, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the image resolutions of the S2 (14MP) and A230 (10MP) and the S2 (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) have different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The S2 was unveiled 2 years after the A230 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving into a full comparison, here is a concise overview of how the S2 grades against the A230 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The full galleries are available at Panasonic S2 Gallery and Sony A230 Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic S2 features outside measurements of 98mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 112 grams (0.25 lbs) whilst the Sony A230 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic S2 vs Sony A230 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have at the time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the S2 against the A230.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S2 and A230 is 96 and 69 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions merely by going over specs. The pic here might give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the S2 and A230.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The S2 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Panasonic S2 will deliver more detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more recent S2 provides an edge with regard to sensor tech.