Panasonic GM5 vs Sony A330

Below is a thorough assessment of the Panasonic GM5 versus Sony A330, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the GM5 (16MP) and A330 (10MP) and the GM5 (Four Thirds) and A330 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The GM5 was revealed 5 years later than the A330 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GM5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A330 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief view of how the GM5 matches up versus the A330 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A330. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic GM5 Gallery and Sony A330 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GM5 has physical measurements of 99mm x 60mm x 36mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.4") having a weight of 211 grams (0.47 lbs) and the Sony A330 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 529 grams (1.17 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic GM5 versus Sony A330 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using during that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the GM5 vs the A330.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GM5 and A330 is 91 and 67 respectively.

Typically, its tough to envision the contrast in sensor measurements just by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph below may give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the GM5 and A330.

As you can see, each of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The GM5 having a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic GM5 will render greater detail because of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images way more aggressively. The more recent GM5 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.