Panasonic G3 vs Sony NEX-5T
83 Imaging
51 Features
62 Overall
55


89 Imaging
57 Features
79 Overall
65
Panasonic G3 vs Sony NEX-5T Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 160 - 6400
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 336g - 115 x 84 x 47mm
- Launched July 2011
- Old Model is Panasonic G2
- Refreshed by Panasonic G5
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 276g - 111 x 59 x 39mm
- Launched August 2013
- Old Model is Sony NEX-5R

Panasonic G3 vs Sony NEX-5T Overview
Below, we will be reviewing the Panasonic G3 vs Sony NEX-5T, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by brands Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the G3 (16MP) and the NEX-5T (16MP) is relatively comparable but the G3 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5T (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

The G3 was launched 3 years prior to the NEX-5T which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic G3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-5T being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the G3 scores versus the NEX-5T for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Panasonic G3 vs Sony NEX-5T Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 & Sony Alpha NEX-5T. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic G3 Gallery & Sony NEX-5T Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic G3 over the Sony NEX-5T
G3 | NEX-5T | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5T over the Panasonic G3
NEX-5T | G3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | August 2013 | ![]() | July 2011 | More modern by 25 months |
Screen resolution | 922k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper screen (+462k dot) |
Common features in the Panasonic G3 and Sony NEX-5T
G3 | NEX-5T | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More precise focusing | ||
Screen dimension | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Identical screen sizing |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Both good for selfies | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Panasonic G3 vs Sony NEX-5T Physical Comparison
When you are aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic G3 comes with outside dimensions of 115mm x 84mm x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") with a weight of 336 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5T has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).
Check the Panasonic G3 vs Sony NEX-5T in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at the time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the G3 versus the NEX-5T.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the G3 and NEX-5T is 83 and 89 respectively.

Panasonic G3 vs Sony NEX-5T Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it is difficult to envision the difference in sensor sizes only by checking out a spec sheet. The pic here will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the G3 and NEX-5T.
As you can see, both of those cameras posses the exact same resolution albeit not the same sensor sizes. The G3 comes with the smaller sensor which will make getting shallower depth of field more challenging. The more aged G3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.

Panasonic G3 vs Sony NEX-5T Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic G3 vs Sony NEX-5T Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Sony Alpha NEX-5T | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Panasonic | Sony |
Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Sony Alpha NEX-5T |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Launched | 2011-07-11 | 2013-08-27 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Venus Engine FHD | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 365.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 16MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 4592 x 3448 | 4912 x 3264 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 25600 |
Minimum native ISO | 160 | 100 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 23 | 99 |
Cross focus points | - | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Amount of lenses | 107 | 121 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Display diagonal | 3" | 3" |
Resolution of display | 460k dot | 922k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Display tech | TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle | Tilt Up 180° Down 50° TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | Electronic (optional) |
Viewfinder resolution | 1,440k dot | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.7x | - |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shutter speed | 4.0 frames/s | 10.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 11.00 m | 7.00 m (ISO100) |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/160s | 1/160s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30fps)) | 1920 x1080 (60p/60i/24p) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 336g (0.74 pounds) | 276g (0.61 pounds) |
Dimensions | 115 x 84 x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") | 111 x 59 x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | 56 | 78 |
DXO Color Depth score | 21.0 | 23.6 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.6 | 13.0 |
DXO Low light score | 667 | 1015 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 270 photos | 330 photos |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | - | NPFW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes ((10/2 sec. delay), Self-timer (Cont.) (with 10 sec. delay; 3/5 exposures)) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Cost at release | $500 | $400 |