Panasonic S5 vs Sony W550

Below, we are reviewing the Panasonic S5 and Sony W550, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the S5 (24MP) and W550 (14MP) and the S5 (Full frame) and W550 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The S5 was brought out 9 years later than the W550 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting through a thorough comparison, below is a quick summary of how the S5 grades vs the W550 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic S5 Gallery and Sony W550 Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera often, you should consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic S5 has outer measurements of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs) and the Sony W550 has proportions of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic S5 and Sony W550 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. Following is the front view size comparison of the S5 vs the W550.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the S5 and W550 is 60 and 96 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to see the difference in sensor measurements only by looking through a spec sheet. The visual here will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the S5 and W550.

Clearly, both cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The S5 featuring a larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Panasonic S5 will provide you with greater detail having its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more modern S5 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.