Panasonic GX1 vs Panasonic ZS5

Lets take a more detailed look at the Panasonic GX1 and Panasonic ZS5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both sold by Panasonic. There is a sizable difference among the resolutions of the GX1 (16MP) and ZS5 (12MP) and the GX1 (Four Thirds) and ZS5 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The GX1 was brought out 21 months later than the ZS5 which makes them a generation apart from each other. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GX1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a thorough comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the GX1 grades against the ZS5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic GX1 Gallery & Panasonic ZS5 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera often, you will want to think about its weight and volume. The Panasonic GX1 provides external measurements of 116mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 318 grams (0.70 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS5 has sizing of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic GX1 and Panasonic ZS5 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Following is a front view size comparison of the GX1 compared to the ZS5.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the GX1 and ZS5 is 87 and 92 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to envision the contrast in sensor measurements only by going through a spec sheet. The photograph here should offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the GX1 and ZS5.

As you can see, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The GX1 featuring a bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic GX1 will provide extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots way more aggressively. The fresher GX1 is going to have an edge in sensor tech.