Panasonic GF5 vs Sony HX5

Its time to examine more in depth at the Panasonic GF5 vs Sony HX5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The resolution of the GF5 (12MP) and the HX5 (10MP) is fairly close but the GF5 (Four Thirds) and HX5 (1/2.4") come with different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The GF5 was launched 22 months later than the HX5 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX5 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a in depth comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the GF5 scores against the HX5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic GF5 Gallery & Sony HX5 Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera often, you'll need to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic GF5 comes with external 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 Sony HX5 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic GF5 vs Sony HX5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have during that time. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the GF5 compared to the HX5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GF5 and HX5 is 89 and 92 respectively.

Sometimes, its tough to imagine the gap in sensor measurements only by viewing technical specs. The graphic here may provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the GF5 and HX5.

As you can tell, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The GF5 due to its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic GF5 will provide you with more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more recent GF5 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.