Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic SZ3

Here is a thorough analysis of the Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic SZ3, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are produced by Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the GF5 (12MP) and SZ3 (16MP) and the GF5 (Four Thirds) and SZ3 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor size.

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The GF5 was unveiled 9 months earlier than the SZ3 which means that they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ3 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a complete comparison, here is a short view of how the GF5 grades vs the SZ3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ3. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic GF5 Gallery & Panasonic SZ3 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry your camera, you should think about its weight and volume. The Panasonic GF5 enjoys exterior dimensions of 108mm x 67mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 267 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ3 has sizing of 95mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic SZ3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you use at that moment. Below is a front view size comparison of the GF5 versus the SZ3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GF5 and SZ3 is 89 and 96 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to envision the contrast between sensor sizing simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The visual here should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the GF5 and SZ3.

Clearly, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The GF5 with its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic SZ3 will offer extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older GF5 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.