Panasonic L1 vs Sony NEX-5R

On this page, we are looking at the Panasonic L1 vs Sony NEX-5R, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizable gap among the resolutions of the L1 (7MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the L1 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5R (APS-C) have different sensor measurements.

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The L1 was unveiled 6 years earlier than the NEX-5R and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic L1 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a full comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the L1 matches up versus the NEX-5R in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic L1 Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic L1 has got physical measurements of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") along with a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5R has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

See the Panasonic L1 vs Sony NEX-5R in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have at that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the L1 compared to the NEX-5R.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the L1 and NEX-5R is 65 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to visualize the difference in sensor sizing just by researching specifications. The visual below will offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the L1 and NEX-5R.

Plainly, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The L1 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-5R will provide you with more detail having an extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos more aggressively. The older L1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.