Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic ZR3

Its time to look more closely at the Panasonic S5 and Panasonic ZR3, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are built by Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference between the resolutions of the S5 (24MP) and ZR3 (14MP) and the S5 (Full frame) and ZR3 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The S5 was revealed 10 years after the ZR3 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZR3 being a Compact camera.

Before we go right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short introduction of how the S5 matches up against the ZR3 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3. The full galleries are available at Panasonic S5 Gallery and Panasonic ZR3 Gallery.

When you are intending to travel with your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic S5 offers external dimensions of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") and a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs) and the Panasonic ZR3 has measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic S5 and Panasonic ZR3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilising at that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the S5 vs the ZR3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the S5 and ZR3 is 60 and 94 respectively.

Often, its tough to envision the contrast between sensor dimensions just by reading through specs. The image below might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the S5 and ZR3.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The S5 using its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic S5 will resolve greater detail because of its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more recent S5 will have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.