Panasonic S5 vs Sony NEX-C3

The following is a complete overview of the Panasonic S5 and Sony NEX-C3, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the S5 (24MP) and NEX-C3 (16MP) and the S5 (Full frame) and NEX-C3 (APS-C) come with different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The S5 was announced 9 years after the NEX-C3 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-C3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a quick summary of how the S5 grades against the NEX-C3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic S5 Gallery and Sony NEX-C3 Gallery.

In case you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic S5 comes with external measurements of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") and a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs) and the Sony NEX-C3 has proportions of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic S5 and Sony NEX-C3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the S5 vs the NEX-C3.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the S5 and NEX-C3 is 60 and 91 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by going over technical specs. The image below might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the S5 and NEX-C3.

As you can tell, both of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The S5 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic S5 will deliver more detail with its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The newer S5 should have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.