Panasonic GF8 vs Sony NEX-5R

The following is a extended overview of the Panasonic GF8 and Sony NEX-5R, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by rivals Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the GF8 (16MP) and the NEX-5R (16MP) is fairly close but the GF8 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5R (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The GF8 was launched 3 years after the NEX-5R which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before going through a complete comparison, below is a brief summation of how the GF8 scores versus the NEX-5R in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF8 & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic GF8 Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic GF8 comes with external measurements of 107mm x 65mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.3") along with a weight of 266 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5R has sizing of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic GF8 and Sony NEX-5R in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have at that moment. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the GF8 vs the NEX-5R.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GF8 and NEX-5R is 90 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions simply by looking through technical specs. The pic here should offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the GF8 and NEX-5R.

As you can tell, both of those cameras enjoy the same exact megapixels but not the same sensor dimensions. The GF8 comes with the smaller sensor which is going to make achieving shallow DOF more difficult. The more modern GF8 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.