Panasonic G5 vs Sony H20

Its time to look more closely at the Panasonic G5 vs Sony H20, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the G5 (16MP) and H20 (10MP) and the G5 (Four Thirds) and H20 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The G5 was unveiled 3 years later than the H20 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic G5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony H20 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief summary of how the G5 scores versus the H20 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20. The full galleries are available at Panasonic G5 Gallery & Sony H20 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic G5 has outside dimensions of 120mm x 83mm x 71mm (4.7" x 3.3" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 396 grams (0.87 lbs) whilst the Sony H20 has dimensions of 107mm x 69mm x 47mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.9") along with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic G5 vs Sony H20 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the G5 versus the H20.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the G5 and H20 is 74 and 87 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to envision the contrast in sensor measurements just by going through a spec sheet. The graphic below will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the G5 and H20.

As you can see, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The G5 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic G5 will show greater detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics way more aggressively. The fresher G5 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.