Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic ZS5

Following is a extended overview of the Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic ZS5, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are built by Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the S5 (24MP) and ZS5 (12MP) and the S5 (Full frame) and ZS5 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The S5 was unveiled 10 years after the ZS5 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a in depth comparison, here is a concise summary of how the S5 matches up against the ZS5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5. The full galleries are available at Panasonic S5 Gallery and Panasonic ZS5 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry around your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and volume. The Panasonic S5 features physical dimensions of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") and a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs) whilst 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).

Take a look at the Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic ZS5 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the S5 against the ZS5.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the S5 and ZS5 is 60 and 92 respectively.

Usually, its tough to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes purely by viewing a spec sheet. The pic here might offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the S5 and ZS5.

As you can see, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The S5 using its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic S5 will result in greater detail having an extra 12MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The younger S5 will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.