Panasonic LZ30 vs Sony NEX-5

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic LZ30 and Sony NEX-5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the LZ30 (16MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is pretty close but the LZ30 (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The LZ30 was announced 2 years later than the NEX-5 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic LZ30 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple view of how the LZ30 scores versus the NEX-5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30 & Sony Alpha NEX-5. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic LZ30 Gallery & Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic LZ30 offers physical dimensions of 124mm x 84mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5 has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic LZ30 and Sony NEX-5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the LZ30 versus the NEX-5.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the LZ30 and NEX-5 is 66 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to envision the difference in sensor measurements purely by researching technical specs. The photograph underneath may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the LZ30 and NEX-5.

As you have seen, both of those cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The LZ30 having a smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic LZ30 will result in more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more modern LZ30 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor tech.