Panasonic S2 vs Sony S950
96 Imaging
37 Features
29 Overall
33


94 Imaging
33 Features
17 Overall
26
Panasonic S2 vs Sony S950 Key Specs
(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
- Introduced January 2012
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- No Video
- 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
- 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
- Released February 2009

Panasonic S2 vs Sony S950 Overview
Its time to look much closer at the Panasonic S2 and Sony S950, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a large gap between the image resolutions of the S2 (14MP) and S950 (10MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

The S2 was revealed 2 years after the S950 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).
Before getting straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summary of how the S2 matches up against the S950 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Panasonic S2 vs Sony S950 Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic S2 Gallery & Sony S950 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic S2 over the Sony S950
S2 | S950 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | January 2012 | ![]() | February 2009 | More modern by 36 months |
Reasons to pick Sony S950 over the Panasonic S2
S950 | S2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Dial accurate focus |
Common features in the Panasonic S2 and Sony S950
S2 | S950 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display dimensions | 2.7" | ![]() | 2.7" | Equal display measurement |
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | The same display resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Lacking Touch friendly display |
Panasonic S2 vs Sony S950 Physical Comparison
If you are aiming to carry around your camera often, you will want to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic S2 comes with exterior measurements 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 S950 has sizing of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).
Compare the Panasonic S2 and Sony S950 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select at that moment. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the S2 against the S950.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the S2 and S950 is 96 and 94 respectively.

Panasonic S2 vs Sony S950 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it can be difficult to see the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading specs. The pic below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the S2 and S950.
As you can plainly see, both the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same megapixels. You can expect to see the Panasonic S2 to offer more detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will help you crop photos more aggressively. The younger S2 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.

Panasonic S2 vs Sony S950 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic S2 vs Sony S950 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Panasonic | Sony |
Model type | Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 |
Category | Small Sensor Compact | Small Sensor Compact |
Introduced | 2012-01-09 | 2009-02-17 |
Body design | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 27.7mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14MP | 10MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4320 x 3240 | 4000 x 3000 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 80 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 23 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 28-112mm (4.0x) | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
Highest aperture | f/3.1-6.5 | f/3.3-5.2 |
Macro focusing range | 5cm | 10cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.9 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen diagonal | 2.7 inch | 2.7 inch |
Screen resolution | 230k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Screen tech | TFT Color LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 8 seconds | 2 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/1600 seconds | 1/1600 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 2.0 frames per second | 1.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 3.30 m | 3.50 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | - |
Maximum video resolution | 1280x720 | None |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | 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 | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 112 grams (0.25 lbs) | 167 grams (0.37 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 98 x 57 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") | 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 280 shots | - |
Battery format | Battery Pack | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Launch pricing | $109 | $130 |