Panasonic S5 vs Sony A550

Let's look closer at the Panasonic S5 and Sony A550, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the S5 (24MP) and A550 (14MP) and the S5 (Full frame) and A550 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizing.

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The S5 was unveiled 10 years after the A550 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a concise view of how the S5 matches up versus the A550 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic S5 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

When you are aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic S5 enjoys outside 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 Sony A550 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic S5 and Sony A550 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the S5 against the A550.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the S5 and A550 is 60 and 63 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to picture the contrast in sensor sizes merely by looking through specs. The pic underneath should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the S5 and A550.

All in all, each of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The S5 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic S5 will provide you with extra detail having an extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images a little more aggressively. The more modern S5 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.