Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A57

On this page, we are evaluating the Panasonic GF5 and Sony A57, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the GF5 (12MP) and A57 (16MP) and the GF5 (Four Thirds) and A57 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor size.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The GF5 was manufactured 5 months prior to the A57 and they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise summary of how the GF5 scores versus the A57 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 and Sony SLT-A57. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic GF5 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry around your camera, you'll have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GF5 offers exterior measurements 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 Sony A57 has dimensions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") with a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic GF5 and Sony A57 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the GF5 and the A57.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the GF5 and A57 is 89 and 64 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes merely by seeing technical specs. The picture below should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the GF5 and A57.

As you have seen, each of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The GF5 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony A57 will provide more detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics more aggressively.