Panasonic FZ300 vs Sony NEX-5T

Below is a thorough assessment of the Panasonic FZ300 and Sony NEX-5T, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the FZ300 (12MP) and NEX-5T (16MP) and the FZ300 (1/2.3") and NEX-5T (APS-C) provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The FZ300 was revealed 23 months later than the NEX-5T which makes them a generation apart from one another. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FZ300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony NEX-5T being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a in depth comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the FZ300 grades versus the NEX-5T in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 & Sony Alpha NEX-5T. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FZ300 Gallery & Sony NEX-5T Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera, you should think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FZ300 has got outside dimensions of 132mm x 92mm x 117mm (5.2" x 3.6" x 4.6") accompanied by a weight of 691 grams (1.52 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5T has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

See the Panasonic FZ300 and Sony NEX-5T in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the FZ300 vs the NEX-5T.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FZ300 and NEX-5T is 59 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it can be difficult to visualise the gap in sensor measurements only by seeing specifications. The visual below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the FZ300 and NEX-5T.

To sum up, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FZ300 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony NEX-5T will produce extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs more aggressively. The newer FZ300 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.