Panasonic FZ1000 II vs Sony NEX-5R

Its time to look more closely at the Panasonic FZ1000 II and Sony NEX-5R, former being a Large Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the FZ1000 II (20MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the FZ1000 II (1") and NEX-5R (APS-C) have different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The FZ1000 II was manufactured 6 years later than the NEX-5R and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FZ1000 II being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a short summary of how the FZ1000 II scores vs the NEX-5R in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic FZ1000 II Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera often, you'll need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FZ1000 II offers external measurements of 136mm x 97mm x 132mm (5.4" x 3.8" x 5.2") accompanied by a weight of 808 grams (1.78 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5R has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FZ1000 II and Sony NEX-5R in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the FZ1000 II and the NEX-5R.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FZ1000 II and NEX-5R is 55 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing merely by looking at specs. The visual below will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the FZ1000 II and NEX-5R.

All in all, the 2 cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The FZ1000 II because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh harder and the Panasonic FZ1000 II will give you extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The fresher FZ1000 II should have an edge in sensor innovation.