Panasonic GF2 vs Sony NEX-5N
88 Imaging
47 Features
50 Overall
48
89 Imaging
56 Features
69 Overall
61
Panasonic GF2 vs Sony NEX-5N Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 310g - 113 x 68 x 33mm
- Introduced February 2011
- Replaced the Panasonic GF1
- Newer Model is Panasonic GF3
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 269g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
- Introduced October 2011
- Replaced the Sony NEX-5
- New Model is Sony NEX-5R
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards Panasonic GF2 vs Sony NEX-5N Overview
On this page, we will be contrasting the Panasonic GF2 vs Sony NEX-5N, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the image resolutions of the GF2 (12MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the GF2 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5N (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe GF2 was released 7 months earlier than the NEX-5N so they are both of a similar age. Both the cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).
Before diving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the GF2 matches up versus the NEX-5N in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 & Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic GF2 Gallery & Sony NEX-5N Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic GF2 over the Sony NEX-5N
| GF2 | NEX-5N |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5N over the Panasonic GF2
| NEX-5N | GF2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | October 2011 | February 2011 | More recent by 7 months | |
| Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen | |
| Screen resolution | 920k | 460k | Sharper screen (+460k dot) |
Common features in the Panasonic GF2 and Sony NEX-5N
| GF2 | NEX-5N | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | Dial accurate focusing | |||
| Screen dimensions | 3" | 3" | Equal screen dimensions | |
| Selfie screen | Neither features selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Quickly navigate |
Panasonic GF2 vs Sony NEX-5N Physical Comparison
For those who are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic GF2 enjoys exterior measurements of 113mm x 68mm x 33mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.3") along with a weight of 310 grams (0.68 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5N has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).
See the Panasonic GF2 vs Sony NEX-5N in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the GF2 vs the NEX-5N.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the GF2 and NEX-5N is 88 and 89 respectively.
Panasonic GF2 vs Sony NEX-5N Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it is tough to imagine the difference between sensor measurements purely by checking a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the GF2 and NEX-5N.
As you can see, the 2 cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The GF2 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh trickier and the Sony NEX-5N will give more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older GF2 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.
Panasonic GF2 vs Sony NEX-5N Screen and ViewFinder
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Panasonic GF2 vs Sony NEX-5N Specifications
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 | Sony Alpha NEX-5N | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Panasonic | Sony |
| Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 | Sony Alpha NEX-5N |
| Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Introduced | 2011-02-24 | 2011-10-03 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-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 surface area | 224.9mm² | 365.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12MP | 16MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4912 x 3264 |
| Highest native ISO | 6400 | 25600 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detection focus | ||
| Contract detection focus | ||
| Phase detection focus | ||
| Number of focus points | 23 | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Amount of lenses | 107 | 121 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Screen diagonal | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 460 thousand dots | 920 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch operation | ||
| Screen tech | TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle | Tilt Up 80°, Down 45° TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Electronic (optional) |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shooting rate | 3.0 frames/s | 10.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash range | 6.00 m | 12.00 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash synchronize | 1/160 secs | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720p (60, 30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Video format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | AVCHD |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 310 grams (0.68 pounds) | 269 grams (0.59 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 113 x 68 x 33mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.3") | 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 54 | 77 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 21.2 | 23.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 10.3 | 12.7 |
| DXO Low light score | 506 | 1079 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 300 images | 460 images |
| Battery style | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | - | NPFW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images)) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Launch pricing | $330 | $550 |