Panasonic Lumix G5 vs. Sony NEX-5R: An In-Depth Mirrorless Showdown for Photography Enthusiasts

When I first unpacked the Panasonic Lumix G5 and the Sony Alpha NEX-5R, I had a clear mission: to determine which entry-level mirrorless camera delivers the best overall experience for enthusiasts on a budget. Both cameras debuted in 2012, targeting keen photographers stepping up from compact cameras or DSLRs looking to slim down. Despite their similar price tags, they offer distinctly different approaches across sensor technology, design, and usability.

I’ve put these two through my tried-and-true lab and real-world tests - everything from autofocus accuracy to low-light shooting, and even handling in the trenches of wildlife and street photography. Below, I’ll share detailed, hands-on insights, balanced pros and cons, and advise on which camera suits your needs. Let's dive in.

Size, Handling, and Ergonomics: First Impressions Matter

The Panasonic G5 is built in a classic SLR-style mirrorless form, while the Sony NEX-5R rocks a smaller, sleek rangefinder body. To anyone who’s juggled cameras for hours, physical comfort and controls layout aren’t just trivial - they can make or break your shoot.

At 120 x 83 x 71 mm and weighing 396g, the G5 feels more substantial and balanced in the hand - especially with bulkier lenses. Its pronounced grip and sculpted body invite confident handling, making it less prone to fatigue during day-long walks or event shooting. The Sony NEX-5R is notably slimmer (111 x 59 x 39 mm) and lighter (276g), but this comes at the expense of a minimal grip, which can feel fiddly when paired with larger zooms or in chilly weather.

Looking at the top controls, the G5 puts key dials and buttons in clear, logical spots, with easy-to-reach thumb wheels and dedicated exposure compensation buttons. The NEX-5R’s top view is cleaner, but I missed the tactile feedback from physical dials. This camera leans more on touchscreen menus and fewer clubs-for-thumbs controls, favoring portability over bootcamp-ready manual control.

For shooters who value a solid grip and swift manual adjustments, the G5 wins ergonomics hands-down. But if you prize sleekness and lightness for travel or street shots, the NEX-5R’s compactness might charm you.

Sensor Specifications and Image Quality: Size Does Matter

Size and sensor technology can tilt image quality scales quite a bit. The Panasonic G5 employs a Four Thirds 16MP CMOS sensor measuring approximately 17.3 x 13 mm, while the Sony NEX-5R features a larger APS-C 16MP CMOS sensor at about 23.4 x 15.6 mm.

That difference in sensor area (the Sony’s is roughly 62% larger) translates into real-world performance advantages in resolution rendering, dynamic range, and low-light capacity.

Digging deeper into DXOmark scores (which I appreciate as a standardized quality metric):

The Sony pulls ahead with clearer images, deeper color reproduction, and a wider dynamic range. This makes it more forgiving in harsh lighting and a better companion for rich landscapes or high-contrast situations.

In testing, the G5’s images are crisp with vibrant colors, but shadows clip earlier, and there’s a bit more noise creeping in past ISO 1600. The NEX-5R keeps noise in check until ISO 3200 and beyond, offering cleaner, usable images in dim lighting or indoor settings.

This difference is especially relevant for portraits - where skin tone reproduction and subtle gradations make a world of difference - as well as for night or astro photography, where sensor sensitivity and dynamic range come into full play.

LCD and Viewfinder: Your Window into the World

Both cameras feature 3-inch LCD screens with about 920k dots resolution, but the Panasonic G5 goes for a fully articulating touchscreen, while the Sony’s screen tilts up 180° and down 50°, lacking full swivel. The G5’s screen flexibility makes it perfect for shooting at tricky angles - low to the ground, overhead, or for vlogging-style front-facing shots.

Regarding electronic viewfinders (EVFs), the G5 has a built-in 1.44M dot EVF with 100% coverage and 0.7x magnification - a serious plus for composition and manual focusing in bright conditions. In contrast, the Sony NEX-5R doesn’t include a built-in viewfinder; instead, it offers an optional external EVF upgrade. For someone accustomed to composing through a viewfinder, the G5’s built-in unit wins here.

From personal testing, having a dependable EVF greatly aids in sharp manual focus and reduces eye strain on sunny days. The NEX-5R’s reliance on its LCD means you will have to shield the screen physically, which can be challenging during street photography or sports.

Autofocus Performance: Fast and Accurate or Just Fast?

Autofocus systems can be the difference between capturing fleeting moments or missing them entirely. Both cameras use contrast-detection AF, but the Sony NEX-5R enhances speed and accuracy with hybrid autofocus - integrating phase detection on the sensor with 99 AF points, compared to the Panasonic G5’s 23-point contrast-detection system.

In real-world trials, the NEX-5R’s phase-detection system tracked fast-moving subjects - especially in good light - with sharper consistency. Its burst shooting rate of 10 frames per second is notably faster than G5’s 6 fps, making Sony better suited for sports, wildlife, and action photography.

The Panasonic G5’s AF is competent for portraits, landscapes, and everyday shooting but sometimes lags on quick autofocus tracking under low light or erratic motion.

Sony’s face detection is limited (no eye or animal eye AF), so while it locks focus quickly on faces, I found the lack of specialized tracking algorithms a mild downside for portraits and pets. Interestingly, the G5 includes basic face detection but no eye AF either.

Image Stabilization and Flash: Get the Shot or Nah?

Neither camera incorporates sensor-based image stabilization, so you’ll depend on lens stabilization if the lens supports it. The Panasonic G5’s kit lens ecosystem with native Micro Four Thirds stabilization options is decent but not as extensive as Sony’s full E-mount lineup.

Regarding flash, the G5 tallies a built-in pop-up flash with a 10.5m range and typical modes (auto, on, red-eye), while the Sony NEX-5R forggoes a built-in flash altogether, relying on external units. If you often shoot in challenging lighting without external flash gear, the built-in flash on the G5 offers more spontaneity and convenience.

Video Capture: Full HD for Both, with Nuances

Both cameras record Full HD video at 1080p; the Panasonic G5 uses the Venus Engine VII FHD processor, offering AVCHD and MPEG-4 formats with frame rates up to 60p. The Sony NEX-5R records in AVCHD with similar frame rates, up to 60 fps in 1080p.

While neither supports 4K video (no surprise in this segment and era), the Panasonic’s fully articulated touchscreen eases shooting video selfies or dynamic angles. Sony’s lack of a built-in mic or headphone port limits external audio control, which is less ideal for serious videographers but fine for casual use.

Battery Life and Storage: Shoot More, Worry Less

Battery performance is similar: the Panasonic G5 rates about 320 shots per charge, the Sony NEX-5R slightly better at 330 shots with its NP-FW50 battery (a more common standard in Sony mirrorless).

Both cameras take a single memory card slot, with the NEX-5R supporting not only SD/SDHC/SDXC but also Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick format - useful if you already have legacy cards lying around.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility: Freedom to Create

The Panasonic G5 uses the Micro Four Thirds mount, a mature, highly supported system with over 100 native lenses from Panasonic, Olympus, and third parties. This offers great variety from cheap primes to weather-sealed pro zooms.

The Sony NEX-5R sports the Sony E-mount, a rapidly growing lens collection (121 lenses) that includes native primes, zooms, and adapted lenses. E-mount lenses generally offer excellent optics but tend to skew pricier than Micro Four Thirds equivalents.

Depending on your lens priorities and budget, both ecosystems deliver plenty. If you lean toward compact primes and affordable options, Panasonic’s mature Micro Four Thirds is very appealing. For a more photography and video hybrid approach with modern autofocus primes, Sony’s E-mount edges forward.

Durability and Weather Sealing: Can You Take Them Out in the Rain?

Neither camera offers weather sealing or tough environmental resistance, which is typical for mid-entry mirrorless models. If shooting in adverse conditions is part of your workflow, you’ll need protective gear.

Real-World Photography Disciplines: Which Camera Excels Where?

Having covered core specs, let’s break down how these cameras perform in different photographic genres.

Portrait Photography

The Panasonic G5 produces pleasant, natural skin tones especially in bright light, with the articulating display helping to compose in flattering angles. The Sony NEX-5R’s larger APS-C sensor results in better background separation potential and more pleasing bokeh with fast lenses, plus superior low light performance - great for indoor portraits.

Both lack eye-detection AF, but the Sony’s faster autofocus and more AF points give it an edge catching expressions in moments.

Winner: Sony NEX-5R for its sensor and AF advantages.

Landscape Photography

Dynamic range and resolution are king here. Sony’s higher dynamic range (13.1 EV vs. 11.6 EV) helps retain shadows and highlights, while its 16MP APS-C sensor captures more detail. The Panasonic G5 does well with vibrant colors but shows some highlight clipping in contrasty scenes.

Micro Four Thirds lenses tend to be smaller and more affordable; however, landscape shooters often want to invest in high-quality glass - both systems deliver at the top end.

Winner: Sony NEX-5R for superior dynamic range and image quality.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Fast autofocus, tracking, and burst rates matter here. Sony’s 10 fps burst and 99-point AF shine in action shots. Panasonic’s G5 lags slightly behind with 6 fps and fewer AF points, and no phase detection AF.

Sony’s lighter body also lends faster handling and shooting agility in the field, though battery life is similar.

Winner: Sony NEX-5R, clearly.

Street Photography

Portability and discreetness rule. Sony NEX-5R, with its smaller, lighter body, fits the bill better for candid street work. The lack of an EVF is a drawback in bright light, but many street photographers rely on LCD framing. The Panasonic G5, with its bulkier body and eye-level EVF, may feel more conspicuous.

Both offer silent shooting modes, but the Sony’s faster burst may help with fleeting moments.

Winner: Sony NEX-5R for size; Panasonic only if you rely heavily on EVF.

Macro Photography

Macro demands precision focusing and often tripod use. Both cameras lack focus stacking or bracketing features, so manual focus skills matter. Panasonic’s fully articulated screen aids in composing close-ups at awkward angles, giving it a slight usability edge.

Neither has in-body stabilization, so lens IS or tripods help immensely.

Winner: Panasonic G5 for LCD versatility.

Night and Astro Photography

Sony’s superior low light ISO performance (usable ISO past 3200), wider dynamic range, and cleaner images shine here. Panasonic’s G5 can struggle with shadow noise at high ISO.

Neither offers long exposure stacking, but both allow manual exposure and bulb modes.

Winner: Sony NEX-5R hands-down.

Video Capabilities

Both cameras max out at 1080p60, but the G5’s fully articulated touchscreen and built-in mic enable easier casual video shooting. Sony’s lack of mic or headphone jacks limits audio flexibility, though its superior sensor helps with low light video quality.

Winner: Panasonic G5 for beginner-to-intermediate videographers.

Travel Photography

Compactness and versatility are prized. Sony NEX-5R is lighter and less bulky, which is great for trips. Panasonic’s ergonomics and vari-angle LCD give better shooting comfort. Battery life is comparable.

Winner: Depends on style - Sony for cheapskate packers, Panasonic for those prioritizing control.

Professional Workflows

Neither camera is a pure professional tool - they lack weather sealing, multi-card slots, and advanced file options. Both shoot RAW, but Sony’s larger sensor files are more flexible in post.

Both have USB 2.0 and HDMI out, but wireless connectivity is built-in only on Sony. Panasonic lacks wireless options altogether.

Winner: Sony NEX-5R nudges ahead with connectivity and file quality.

Summarizing Strengths and Weaknesses

Panasonic G5 front Panasonic G5 screen back Sony NEX 5R front Sony NEX 5R screen back

Price and Value: Where Your Buck Goes Farther

At launch prices (~$699 for G5 and ~$750 for NEX-5R), both target similar budgets, but the slight premium for Sony is justified by the larger sensor and higher performance metrics.

Given current used market trends, both are affordable entry points but newer mirrorless models now eclipse them in autofocus sophistication and video specs.

Performance Ratings: Numbers Tell Part of the Story

Here’s a recap of the overall DXOmark and lab scores, as well as ratings across photography types based on my testing.

The Bottom Line: Which Should You Buy?

If image quality, autofocus speed, and compactness are your top priorities - especially for fast-moving subjects, low light, or landscapes - the Sony NEX-5R is a superior choice. It packs a more versatile sensor, faster burst shooting, and lighter design that favors on-the-go shooting.

However, if you value ergonomics, built-in EVF, an articulating touchscreen, and easier physical controls, plus occasional casual video work with built-in flash, the Panasonic Lumix G5 remains a solid competitor. It’s particularly appealing if you prefer the Micro Four Thirds lens ecosystem and prioritize shooting comfort over sensor size.

Who Should Pick Which Camera?

• Choose Panasonic G5 if:

  • You want a robust grip and traditional DSLR-style handling.
  • Built-in EVF and fully articulating screen matter for your style.
  • You prioritize beginner-friendly video shooting.
  • You want dependable flash options without buying accessories.

• Choose Sony NEX-5R if:

  • You need faster autofocus and higher burst rates for action.
  • Low-light shooting and image quality top your list.
  • You want a lightweight camera for travel or street photography.
  • Wireless connectivity and a larger lens ecosystem are priorities.

Final Thoughts From a Hands-On Expert

Having tested these cameras through hundreds of varied shoots, I can say both deliver good value in their niches. The G5 is a gateway to more tactile and deliberate photography, whereas the NEX-5R nudges users toward speed, compactness, and raw image quality.

If you’re a photography enthusiast trying to decide between them today, check your priorities. Are you more about “getting the shot with buttons under your fingers” or “quick precision with as little fuss as possible?” These questions will lead you to your perfect match.

Whichever you choose, both cameras offer solid performance for entry-level mirrorless shooters and remain fun, capable tools to nurture your craft.

Happy shooting, and may your next camera adventure bring many memorable frames!