Panasonic FS15 vs Sony NEX-5R

Its time to take a closer look at the Panasonic FS15 and Sony NEX-5R, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a significant difference among the sensor resolutions of the FS15 (12MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the FS15 (1/2.3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) have different sensor size.

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The FS15 was brought out 4 years prior to the NEX-5R and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FS15 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight to a full comparison, here is a brief summary of how the FS15 scores vs the NEX-5R when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 and Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic FS15 Gallery and Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FS15 comes with exterior dimensions of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") having a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5R has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FS15 and Sony NEX-5R in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the FS15 versus the NEX-5R.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the FS15 and NEX-5R is 95 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements purely by viewing technical specs. The photograph here should give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the FS15 and NEX-5R.

As you can tell, each of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FS15 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony NEX-5R will result in extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos way more aggressively. The older FS15 will be behind in sensor technology.