Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, We are going to illustrate Panasonic S2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic S2 has external dimensions of 98 x 57 x 21 mm (3.86 x 2.24 x 0.83″) and weighs 112 g (0.25 lb / 3.95 oz) (including batteries). Olympus XZ-2 iHS has external dimensions of 113 x 65 x 48 mm (4.45 x 2.56 x 1.89″) and weighs 346 g (0.76 lb / 12.20 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic S2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS. Panasonic S2 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 15mm narrower, 8mm shorter and 27mm thinner than Olympus XZ-2 iHS.
![Panasonic S2 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS Camera Size Comparison - Front View]()
Comparison image of Panasonic S2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic S2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS.
![Panasonic S2 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS Camera Size Comparison - Top View]()
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic S2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS Size
Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Panasonic S2 is significantly lighter (234g ) than the Olympus XZ-2 iHS which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Weight Comparison
Compact Cameras
Thickness Comparison
Compact Cameras
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 nor Olympus XZ-2 iHS provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections: Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Olympus XZ-2 iHS's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic S2's 2.7" screen.
In addition to the size advantage, Olympus XZ-2 iHS LCD screen also has a
Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Panasonic S2 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to XZ-2 iHS.
Panasonic S2 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3" (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Olympus XZ-2 iHS has a 12.0MP 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Below you can see the S2 and XZ-2 iHS sensor size comparison.
![Panasonic S2 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS Sensor Size Comparison]()
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic S2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS Cameras
As seen above, Olympus XZ-2 iHS has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Panasonic S2. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.
Panasonic S2 features a 28-112 mm F3.1-6.5 4× zoom lens whereas Olympus XZ-2 iHS features a 28-112 mm F1.8-2.5 4x zoom lens.
Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 28mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f1.80, Olympus XZ-2 iHS is faster than Panasonic S2 at this focal length.
Both cameras have a tele angle reach of 112mm. However, with a max aperture of f2.50, Olympus XZ-2 iHS is faster than Panasonic S2 at this focal length.
Wide Coverage
Compact Cameras
Max Aperture at Tele
Compact Cameras
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Max Aperture at Wide
Compact Cameras
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic S2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.
Panasonic S2 for Portrait Photography
Olympus XZ-2 iHS for Portrait Photography
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Panasonic S2 for Street Photography
Olympus XZ-2 iHS for Street Photography
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Optional External Viewfinder
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details
Panasonic S2 for Sports Photography
Olympus XZ-2 iHS for Sports Photography
Image Stabilization
23 Focus Points
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1600s
Poor Battery Life: 280 shots
112 mm Tele Lens
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.50
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
35 Focus Points
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
112 mm Tele Lens
Read the details
Panasonic S2 for Daily Photography
Olympus XZ-2 iHS for Daily Photography
Compact Body
112g
Body Thickness 21mm
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
346g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details
Panasonic S2 for Landscape Photography
Olympus XZ-2 iHS for Landscape Photography
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Panasonic S2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS, below you can find their scores in five different aspects.
Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.
Here is a summary of how Panasonic S2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS scores compare:
Panasonic S2
Ranked
#357 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked
#1016 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Olympus XZ-2 iHS
Ranked
#8 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked
#285 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Olympus XZ-2 iHS is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic S2 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic S2. Otherwise, Olympus XZ-2 iHS is the better camera overall.
| General |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2 |
Olympus XZ-2 iHS |
| Brand |
Panasonic |
Olympus |
| Announced |
2012-01-09 |
2012-12-18 |
| Body Type |
Compact |
Compact |
Sensor |
|
|
| Type |
CCD |
CMOS |
| Size |
1/2.3" |
1/1.7" |
| Dimensions |
6.08 x 4.56 mm |
7.44 x 5.58 mm |
| Area |
27.72mm2 |
41.52mm2 |
| Megapixels |
14 megapixels |
12 megapixels |
| Max Resolution |
4320 x 3240 |
3968 x 2976 |
| Max Native Light sensitivity |
6,400 ISO |
12,800 ISO |
| Min Native Light sensitivity |
100 ISO |
100 ISO |
| RAW Support |
|
|
Autofocus |
|
|
| AF Touch |
|
|
| AF Continuous |
|
|
| AF Single |
|
|
| AF Tracking |
|
|
| AF Selective |
|
|
| AF Center |
|
|
| AF Multi Area |
|
|
| AF Live View |
|
|
| AF Face Detection |
|
|
| AF Contrast Detection |
|
|
| AF Phase Detection |
|
|
| Number of Focus Points |
23 |
35 |
Lens |
|
|
| Manual Focus |
|
|
| Lens Mount |
fixed lens |
fixed lens |
| Lens Focal Range |
28-112 mm (4×) |
28-112 mm (4x) |
| Max Aperture |
F3.1-6.5 |
F1.8-2.5 |
| Macro Focus Range |
5cm |
1cm |
Screen |
|
|
| Type |
Fixed type |
Tilting |
| Size |
2.7" |
3" |
| Resolution |
230k dots |
920k dots |
| Touch Screen |
|
|
Viewfinder |
|
|
| Viewfinder |
None |
Electronic (optional) |
Photography Features |
|
|
| Max Mechanical Shutter |
1/1600s |
1/2000s |
| Shutter Priority |
|
|
| Aperture Priority |
|
|
| Manual Exposure Mode |
|
|
| Custom White Balance |
|
|
| Image Stabilization |
Optical |
Sensor-shift |
| Built-in Flash |
|
|
| Flash Range |
3.30 m |
8.60 m (ISO 800) |
| External Flash |
|
|
| Continuous Shooting |
2.0 fps |
n/a |
| Multi-Segment |
|
|
| Average |
|
|
| Spot |
|
|
| Partial |
|
|
| AF-Area |
|
|
| Center Weighted |
|
|
| AE Bracketing |
|
|
| WB Bracketing |
|
|
Video Features |
|
|
| Max Video Resolution |
1280 x 720 |
1920 x 1080 |
| Video Formats |
Motion JPEG |
MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Microphone Port |
|
|
| Headphone Port |
|
|
Connectivity |
|
|
| Wireless Connectivity |
None |
Eye-Fi Connected |
| HDMI |
|
|
Physical |
|
|
| Environmental Sealing |
|
|
| Weight |
112g |
346g |
| Dimensions |
98 x 57 x 21mm |
113 x 65 x 48mm |
| Battery Life |
280 shots |
340 shots |
Other Features |
|
|
| Timelapse Recording |
|
|
| GPS |
None |
None |
DxO Sensor Scores |
|
|
| DxO Overall Score |
not tested |
49 |
| DxO Color Depth |
not tested |
20.4 |
| DxO Dynamic Range |
not tested |
11.3 |
| DxO Low Light ISO |
not tested |
216 |
|
Report a correction |
Report a correction |