Panasonic ZS200 vs Sony NEX-5R

Let's look more closely at the Panasonic ZS200 and Sony NEX-5R, former being a Large Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the ZS200 (20MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the ZS200 (1") and NEX-5R (APS-C) boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The ZS200 was introduced 5 years later than the NEX-5R and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a full comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the ZS200 matches up against the NEX-5R when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS200 Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS200 offers outside measurements of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") and a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5R has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZS200 and Sony NEX-5R in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the ZS200 versus the NEX-5R.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the ZS200 and NEX-5R is 86 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's hard to envision the gap between sensor measurements simply by checking specs. The photograph here might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS200 and NEX-5R.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZS200 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Panasonic ZS200 will give you more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more modern ZS200 will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.