Panasonic S5 vs Sony A500

Lets look more closely at the Panasonic S5 versus Sony A500, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a big difference between the image resolutions of the S5 (24MP) and A500 (12MP) and the S5 (Full frame) and A500 (APS-C) have totally different sensor measurements.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The S5 was unveiled 11 years later than the A500 and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the S5 scores vs the A500 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic S5 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and size. The Panasonic S5 has physical dimensions of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") with a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs) while the Sony A500 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic S5 versus Sony A500 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you choose at that time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the S5 vs the A500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the S5 and A500 is 60 and 63 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to envision the gap between sensor sizing only by reading through specifications. The graphic here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the S5 and A500.

Plainly, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The S5 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic S5 will give extra detail having an extra 12MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images way more aggressively. The younger S5 is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.