Panasonic FZ80 vs Panasonic G5

Below is a extensive overview of the Panasonic FZ80 versus Panasonic G5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both produced by Panasonic. The resolution of the FZ80 (18MP) and the G5 (16MP) is very close but the FZ80 (1/2.3") and G5 (Four Thirds) have different sensor dimensions.

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The FZ80 was announced 4 years later than the G5 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic G5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summation of how the FZ80 scores against the G5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic FZ80 Gallery & Panasonic G5 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic FZ80 has got outside dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") and a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) while the Panasonic G5 has specifications of 120mm x 83mm x 71mm (4.7" x 3.3" x 2.8") having a weight of 396 grams (0.87 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FZ80 versus Panasonic G5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at that moment. Below is a front view scale comparison of the FZ80 vs the G5.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the FZ80 and G5 is 63 and 74 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to visualize the gap in sensor measurements just by looking through technical specs. The photograph underneath will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the FZ80 and G5.

As you can tell, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FZ80 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic FZ80 will result in greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The fresher FZ80 should have an edge in sensor innovation.