Panasonic S5 vs Sony NEX-3

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.