Canon S95 vs Panasonic SZ5

Below, we are evaluating the Canon S95 and Panasonic SZ5, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by brands Canon and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the S95 (10MP) and SZ5 (14MP) and the S95 (1/1.7") and SZ5 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The S95 was revealed 20 months prior to the SZ5 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a short highlight of how the S95 grades vs the SZ5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot S95 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The full galleries are available at Canon S95 Gallery & Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera, you should take into account its weight and measurements. The Canon S95 comes with physical dimensions of 100mm x 58mm x 30mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.2") with a weight of 195 grams (0.43 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ5 has proportions of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Look at the Canon S95 and Panasonic SZ5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the S95 vs the SZ5.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the S95 and SZ5 is 93 and 95 respectively.

Often, it is tough to envision the difference in sensor sizes simply by looking through technical specs. The picture below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the S95 and SZ5.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The S95 having a larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic SZ5 will result in more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged S95 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.