Nikon S640 vs Panasonic LX5

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Nikon S640 versus Panasonic LX5, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by companies Nikon and Panasonic. The resolution of the S640 (12MP) and the LX5 (10MP) is pretty close but the S640 (1/2.3") and LX5 (1/1.63") have different sensor measurements.

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The S640 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the LX5 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple view of how the S640 grades versus the LX5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix S640 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. The full galleries are provided at Nikon S640 Gallery and Panasonic LX5 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera, you need to factor its weight and size. The Nikon S640 features exterior measurements of 91mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.6" x 2.2" x 0.8") along with a weight of 130 grams (0.29 lbs) and the Panasonic LX5 has specifications of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

See the Nikon S640 versus Panasonic LX5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with at the time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the S640 versus the LX5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the S640 and LX5 is 96 and 88 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to picture the contrast in sensor measurements only by researching technical specs. The graphic here should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the S640 and LX5.

As you can tell, both of those cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The S640 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Nikon S640 will render greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures way more aggressively. The older S640 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.