Panasonic S5 vs Sony NEX-3
60 Imaging
76 Features
92 Overall
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89 Imaging
54 Features
55 Overall
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Panasonic S5 vs Sony NEX-3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 24MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3.0" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 51200 (Boost to 204800)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Leica L Mount
- 714g - 133 x 97 x 82mm
- Announced August 2020
- Later Model is Panasonic S5 II
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1280 x 720 video
- Sony E Mount
- 297g - 117 x 62 x 33mm
- Released June 2010
- Successor is Sony NEX-C3

Panasonic S5 vs Sony NEX-3 Overview
The following is a detailed analysis of the Panasonic S5 and Sony NEX-3, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the S5 (24MP) and NEX-3 (14MP) and the S5 (Full frame) and NEX-3 (APS-C) boast different sensor measurements.

The S5 was manufactured 10 years after the NEX-3 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before delving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the S5 grades versus the NEX-3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Panasonic S5 vs Sony NEX-3 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic S5 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic S5 over the Sony NEX-3
S5 | NEX-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | August 2020 | ![]() | June 2010 | Newer by 125 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen resolution | 1840k | ![]() | 920k | Crisper screen (+920k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-3 over the Panasonic S5
NEX-3 | S5 |
---|
Common features in the Panasonic S5 and Sony NEX-3
S5 | NEX-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very precise focusing | ||
Screen size | 3.0" | ![]() | 3" | Same screen measurements |
Panasonic S5 vs Sony NEX-3 Physical Comparison
When you are going to travel with your camera, you have to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic S5 comes with physical measurements of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") having a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3 has specifications of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).
Compare the Panasonic S5 and Sony NEX-3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the S5 versus the NEX-3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the S5 and NEX-3 is 60 and 89 respectively.

Panasonic S5 vs Sony NEX-3 Sensor Comparison
Typically, it's tough to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by researching a spec sheet. The image here might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the S5 and NEX-3.
Clearly, both of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The S5 due to its bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic S5 will render greater detail due to its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The newer S5 provides an edge in sensor technology.

Panasonic S5 vs Sony NEX-3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic S5 vs Sony NEX-3 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 | Sony Alpha NEX-3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Panasonic | Sony |
Model type | Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 | Sony Alpha NEX-3 |
Type | Pro Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Announced | 2020-08-14 | 2010-06-07 |
Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Full frame | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 35.6 x 23.8mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 847.3mm² | 365.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 24 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 6000 x 4000 | 4592 x 3056 |
Highest native ISO | 51200 | 12800 |
Highest boosted ISO | 204800 | - |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW pictures | ||
Lowest boosted ISO | 50 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | 225 | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Leica L | Sony E |
Number of lenses | 31 | 121 |
Crop factor | 1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of display | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Display size | 3.0 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of display | 1,840k dots | 920k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Display tech | - | TFT Xtra Fine LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | None |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dots | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | - |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/4000s |
Highest quiet shutter speed | 1/8000s | - |
Continuous shooting rate | 7.0fps | 7.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
Flash modes | Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync, Slow Sync w/Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/250s | 1/160s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 3840x2160 | 1280x720 |
Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264, H.265 | MPEG-4 |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | Yes (can be charged with high-power laptop/tablet chargers or portable power banks) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 714g (1.57 pounds) | 297g (0.65 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 133 x 97 x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") | 117 x 62 x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 68 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.1 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 12.0 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 830 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 440 pictures | 330 pictures |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | NPFW50 |
Self timer | Yes | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage type | SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | Two | One |
Cost at launch | $1,999 | $0 |