Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic SZ5

Its time to look a little more closely at the Panasonic GF5 versus Panasonic SZ5, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both sold by Panasonic. The resolution of the GF5 (12MP) and the SZ5 (14MP) is fairly similar but the GF5 (Four Thirds) and SZ5 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

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The GF5 was introduced 3 months prior to the SZ5 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a full comparison, below is a short overview of how the GF5 scores against the SZ5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic GF5 Gallery and Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you will have to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic GF5 comes with physical measurements of 108mm x 67mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 267 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ5 has specifications of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") and a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic GF5 versus Panasonic SZ5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilising at that moment. The following is the front view size comparison of the GF5 compared to the SZ5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GF5 and SZ5 is 89 and 95 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements only by reading a spec sheet. The graphic here might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the GF5 and SZ5.

Clearly, both the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The GF5 with its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field easier and the Panasonic SZ5 will offer you extra detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images a little more aggressively.