Panasonic S5 vs Sony a5100

Its time to look a little more closely at the Panasonic S5 and Sony a5100, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the S5 (24MP) and the a5100 (24MP) is very well matched but the S5 (Full frame) and a5100 (APS-C) possess different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The S5 was released 6 years later than the a5100 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a complete comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the S5 matches up against the a5100 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 & Sony Alpha a5100. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic S5 Gallery & Sony a5100 Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic S5 has got exterior dimensions 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 a5100 has measurements of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") along with a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic S5 and Sony a5100 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose during that time. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the S5 vs the a5100.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the S5 and a5100 is 60 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to picture the difference between sensor measurements merely by looking at technical specs. The visual here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the S5 and a5100.

As you can tell, both of the cameras offer the same exact MP but different sensor measurements. The S5 comes with the larger sensor which is going to make obtaining shallower DOF easier. The more modern S5 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.