Panasonic S5 vs Sony A850

Let's look more in depth at the Panasonic S5 versus Sony A850, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the S5 (24MP) and the A850 (25MP) is pretty close and both cameras offer the same sensor sizes (Full frame).

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The S5 was introduced 10 years later than the A850 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short introduction of how the S5 grades versus the A850 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic S5 Gallery & Sony A850 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic S5 enjoys external dimensions of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") with a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs) whilst the Sony A850 has proportions of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") and a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic S5 versus Sony A850 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the S5 against the A850.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S5 and A850 is 60 and 54 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to see the difference in sensor sizing only by looking through technical specs. The visual underneath will provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the S5 and A850.

As you can tell, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same resolution. You can expect the Sony A850 to result in greater detail using its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The fresher S5 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.