Nikon L20 vs Panasonic S5

The following is a thorough overview of the Nikon L20 vs Panasonic S5, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Nikon and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the L20 (10MP) and S5 (24MP) and the L20 (1/2.3") and S5 (Full frame) use totally different sensor sizes.

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The L20 was manufactured 12 years before the S5 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Nikon L20 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight into a complete comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the L20 matches up vs the S5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix L20 & Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The entire galleries are available at Nikon L20 Gallery & Panasonic S5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and proportions. The Nikon L20 has external measurements of 97mm x 61mm x 29mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 135 grams (0.30 lbs) and the Panasonic S5 has measurements of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") with a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Take a look at the Nikon L20 vs Panasonic S5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the L20 and the S5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the L20 and S5 is 94 and 60 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to envision the difference in sensor dimensions merely by researching specs. The picture underneath may give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the L20 and S5.

All in all, both of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The L20 because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Panasonic S5 will result in more detail due to its extra 14 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more aged L20 will be behind in sensor technology.