Nikon Z50 vs Panasonic ZS5

On this page, we will be analyzing the Nikon Z50 versus Panasonic ZS5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Nikon and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the Z50 (21MP) and ZS5 (12MP) and the Z50 (APS-C) and ZS5 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The Z50 was brought out 9 years later than the ZS5 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Nikon Z50 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick view of how the Z50 grades vs the ZS5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Z50 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5. The entire galleries are provided at Nikon Z50 Gallery & Panasonic ZS5 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and measurements. The Nikon Z50 enjoys physical dimensions of 127mm x 94mm x 60mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 2.4") accompanied by a weight of 397 grams (0.88 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS5 has proportions of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

See the Nikon Z50 versus Panasonic ZS5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the Z50 compared to the ZS5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the Z50 and ZS5 is 74 and 92 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to visualize the difference in sensor measurements just by going through a spec sheet. The graphic below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the Z50 and ZS5.

Clearly, both of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The Z50 because of its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Nikon Z50 will show more detail having its extra 9 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures more aggressively. The fresher Z50 provides an edge in sensor innovation.