Panasonic S3 vs Pentax ist DS2

On this page, we are looking at the Panasonic S3 and Pentax ist DS2, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the S3 (14MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the S3 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) posses different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The S3 was announced 5 years after the ist DS2 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Panasonic S3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the S3 matches up against the ist DS2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 & Pentax ist DS2. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic S3 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic S3 enjoys physical dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has sizing of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Check the Panasonic S3 and Pentax ist DS2 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use at the time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the S3 against the ist DS2.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S3 and ist DS2 is 96 and 68 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to picture the contrast between sensor sizes simply by reading a spec sheet. The image here might give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the S3 and ist DS2.

As you can see, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The S3 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Panasonic S3 will deliver greater detail with its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively. The younger S3 provides an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.