Panasonic TS5 vs Sony NEX-3
91 Imaging
39 Features
43 Overall
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89 Imaging
53 Features
55 Overall
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Panasonic TS5 vs Sony NEX-3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-128mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
- 214g - 110 x 67 x 29mm
- Announced July 2013
- Also referred to as Lumix DMC-FT5
- Superseded the Panasonic TS4
- Updated by Panasonic TS6
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1280 x 720 video
- Sony E Mount
- 297g - 117 x 62 x 33mm
- Launched June 2010
- Updated by Sony NEX-C3

Panasonic TS5 vs Sony NEX-3 Overview
Lets look more closely at the Panasonic TS5 vs Sony NEX-3, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the TS5 (16MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is very comparable but the TS5 (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

The TS5 was announced 3 years later than the NEX-3 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic TS5 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before going into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short highlight of how the TS5 matches up versus the NEX-3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Panasonic TS5 vs Sony NEX-3 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic TS5 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic TS5 over the Sony NEX-3
TS5 | NEX-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | July 2013 | ![]() | June 2010 | Fresher by 38 months |
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-3 over the Panasonic TS5
NEX-3 | TS5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Dial precise focus | ||
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display resolution | 920k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper display (+460k dot) |
Common features in the Panasonic TS5 and Sony NEX-3
TS5 | NEX-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same display sizing |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Missing selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Missing Touch friendly display |
Panasonic TS5 vs Sony NEX-3 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is intending to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic TS5 offers external dimensions of 110mm x 67mm x 29mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) while the Sony NEX-3 has proportions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).
Compare the Panasonic TS5 vs Sony NEX-3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the TS5 and the NEX-3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the TS5 and NEX-3 is 91 and 89 respectively.

Panasonic TS5 vs Sony NEX-3 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it is hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizing just by going through specs. The visual below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the TS5 and NEX-3.
As you can plainly see, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The TS5 having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic TS5 will show more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The newer TS5 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.

Panasonic TS5 vs Sony NEX-3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic TS5 vs Sony NEX-3 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 | Sony Alpha NEX-3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Panasonic | Sony |
Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 | Sony Alpha NEX-3 |
Also Known as | Lumix DMC-FT5 | - |
Type | Waterproof | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Announced | 2013-07-12 | 2010-06-07 |
Body design | Compact | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 27.7mm² | 365.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 14 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4592 x 3056 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 12800 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 23 | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | fixed lens | Sony E |
Lens focal range | 28-128mm (4.6x) | - |
Max aperture | f/3.3-5.9 | - |
Macro focus distance | 5cm | - |
Amount of lenses | - | 121 |
Crop factor | 5.9 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Screen diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of screen | 460 thousand dot | 920 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Screen tech | TFT LCD | TFT Xtra Fine LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/1300 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shutter speed | 10.0 frames per sec | 7.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 5.60 m | 12.00 m |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | - | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60, 30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video format | MPEG-4, AVCHD | MPEG-4 |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | BuiltIn | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 214g (0.47 lb) | 297g (0.65 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 110 x 67 x 29mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") | 117 x 62 x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | not tested | 68 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 22.1 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 12.0 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 830 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 370 photos | 330 photos |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | DMW-BCM13 | NPFW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | One | One |
Cost at release | $350 | $0 |