Judge Thokozile Masipa said prosecutors had not proved he meant to kill his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, prompting tears from the Olympic sprinter.
But she said he acted hastily and had been negligent
. Mr Pistorius says he thought an intruder was in the toilet.
Adjourning the trial, the judge said a reasonable person would not have fired.
The BBC's Andrew Harding, who was in court in Pretoria, says she is expected to deliver a verdict of culpable homicide (manslaughter) but has not yet spelled it out.
Earlier, Judge Masipa described Mr Pistorius as an evasive witness but said this did not mean he was guilty.
Clearing him of murder charges, she said he could not have foreseen killing whoever was behind the toilet door.
The South African Olympic and Paralympic sprinter had denied murdering Ms Steenkamp after a row on Valentine's Day last year, saying he shot her by mistake.
Mr Pistorius, 27, has pleaded not guilty to all the charges he faces, including two counts of shooting a firearm in public and the illegal possession of ammunition.
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