Panasonic S2 vs Sony A290
96 Imaging
37 Features
29 Overall
33


66 Imaging
53 Features
47 Overall
50
Panasonic S2 vs Sony A290 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-112mm (F3.1-6.5) lens
- 112g - 98 x 57 x 21mm
- Introduced January 2012
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
- Launched June 2010
- Old Model is Sony A230

Panasonic S2 vs Sony A290 Overview
Lets take a closer look at the Panasonic S2 vs Sony A290, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The resolution of the S2 (14MP) and the A290 (14MP) is very well matched but the S2 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor size.

The S2 was released 20 months after the A290 making them a generation away from each other. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting right into a detailed comparison, here is a short summary of how the S2 matches up against the A290 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Panasonic S2 vs Sony A290 Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic S2 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic S2 over the Sony A290
S2 | A290 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | January 2012 | ![]() | June 2010 | More modern by 20 months |
Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Panasonic S2
A290 | S2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very precise focusing |
Common features in the Panasonic S2 and Sony A290
S2 | A290 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display dimensions | 2.7" | ![]() | 2.7" | Equal display size |
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Same display resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Absent selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Absent Touch display |
Panasonic S2 vs Sony A290 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you have to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic S2 enjoys outer dimensions 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 Sony A290 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).
Check the Panasonic S2 vs Sony A290 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have attached at the time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the S2 versus the A290.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the S2 and A290 is 96 and 66 respectively.

Panasonic S2 vs Sony A290 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it is very difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes purely by checking technical specs. The image here will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the S2 and A290.
As you can tell, both of these cameras have the same resolution but not the same sensor sizes. The S2 offers the tinier sensor which is going to make getting shallow depth of field more difficult. The fresher S2 will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.

Panasonic S2 vs Sony A290 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic S2 vs Sony A290 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Panasonic | Sony |
Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 |
Class | Small Sensor Compact | Entry-Level DSLR |
Introduced | 2012-01-09 | 2010-06-09 |
Body design | Compact | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
Sensor surface area | 27.7mm² | 369.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14 megapixels | 14 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4320 x 3240 | 4592 x 3056 |
Max native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 23 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Lens focal range | 28-112mm (4.0x) | - |
Largest aperture | f/3.1-6.5 | - |
Macro focus range | 5cm | - |
Number of lenses | - | 143 |
Crop factor | 5.9 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 2.7 inch | 2.7 inch |
Display resolution | 230 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Display tech | TFT Color LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.55x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 8 seconds | 30 seconds |
Highest shutter speed | 1/1600 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 2.0 frames/s | 3.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 3.30 m | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | - | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | - |
Max video resolution | 1280x720 | None |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | - |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 112 gr (0.25 lbs) | 549 gr (1.21 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 98 x 57 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") | 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | 66 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 22.6 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 11.5 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 615 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 280 images | 290 images |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | - | NP-FH50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Retail pricing | $109 | $600 |