Panasonic FZ1000 II vs Panasonic ZS5

Let's look more closely at the Panasonic FZ1000 II and Panasonic ZS5, former is a Large Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both designed by Panasonic. There exists a large gap between the image resolutions of the FZ1000 II (20MP) and ZS5 (12MP) and the FZ1000 II (1") and ZS5 (1/2.3") posses different sensor size.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The FZ1000 II was unveiled 8 years after the ZS5 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FZ1000 II being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a thorough comparison, here is a short introduction of how the FZ1000 II matches up against the ZS5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic FZ1000 II Gallery & Panasonic ZS5 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic FZ1000 II offers outer dimensions of 136mm x 97mm x 132mm (5.4" x 3.8" x 5.2") with a weight of 808 grams (1.78 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS5 has sizing of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FZ1000 II and Panasonic ZS5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the FZ1000 II against the ZS5.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FZ1000 II and ZS5 is 55 and 92 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizes only by going over specs. The picture underneath might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the FZ1000 II and ZS5.

All in all, both cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The FZ1000 II with its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FZ1000 II will offer you greater detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots way more aggressively. The more modern FZ1000 II should have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.