Panasonic GH5S vs Sony A550

Below is a in depth review of the Panasonic GH5S and Sony A550, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the GH5S (10MP) and A550 (14MP) and the GH5S (Four Thirds) and A550 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor sizing.

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The GH5S was introduced 8 years later than the A550 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GH5S being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a complete comparison, below is a quick summation of how the GH5S grades versus the A550 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic GH5S Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you have to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic GH5S offers outer dimensions of 139mm x 98mm x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") and a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs) and the Sony A550 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic GH5S and Sony A550 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the GH5S against the A550.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GH5S and A550 is 62 and 63 respectively.

Typically, it is very difficult to see the difference in sensor measurements purely by checking out a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will help provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GH5S and A550.

As you can see, both the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The GH5S using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A550 will provide greater detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs far more aggressively. The fresher GH5S will have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.