Panasonic LX5 vs Panasonic SZ10

Its time to look more in depth at the Panasonic LX5 and Panasonic SZ10, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are built by Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the LX5 (10MP) and SZ10 (16MP) and the LX5 (1/1.63") and SZ10 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The LX5 was announced 4 years prior to the SZ10 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the LX5 scores against the SZ10 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ10. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic LX5 Gallery & Panasonic SZ10 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and volume. The Panasonic LX5 provides outside dimensions of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ10 has sizing of 99mm x 60mm x 30mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.2") accompanied by a weight of 177 grams (0.39 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic LX5 and Panasonic SZ10 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the LX5 vs the SZ10.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the LX5 and SZ10 is 88 and 93 respectively.

Typically, its tough to envision the difference in sensor measurements purely by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the LX5 and SZ10.

Clearly, both of those cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The LX5 with its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic SZ10 will provide you with greater detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos way more aggressively. The older LX5 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.