Panasonic S1R vs Sony HX5

Following is a thorough comparison of the Panasonic S1R versus Sony HX5, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the image resolutions of the S1R (47MP) and HX5 (10MP) and the S1R (Full frame) and HX5 (1/2.4") have totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The S1R was unveiled 8 years after the HX5 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic S1R being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX5 being a Compact camera.

Before we go right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the S1R grades versus the HX5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic S1R Gallery and Sony HX5 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic S1R comes with exterior dimensions of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") having a weight of 1020 grams (2.25 lbs) whilst the Sony HX5 has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic S1R versus Sony HX5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen at the time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the S1R versus the HX5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the S1R and HX5 is 54 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes only by checking specs. The picture underneath might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the S1R and HX5.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The S1R having a larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic S1R will resolve greater detail having an extra 37 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more modern S1R is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.