Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony NEX-5

Below is a thorough review of the Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony NEX-5, one being a Large Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the ZS100 (20MP) and NEX-5 (14MP) and the ZS100 (1") and NEX-5 (APS-C) use totally different sensor measurements.

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The ZS100 was introduced 5 years later than the NEX-5 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the ZS100 scores versus the NEX-5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS100 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS100 comes with outside dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5 has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony NEX-5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the ZS100 and the NEX-5.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the ZS100 and NEX-5 is 87 and 89 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to envision the gap between sensor measurements merely by reviewing technical specs. The photograph below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS100 and NEX-5.

As you can tell, both of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The ZS100 with its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic ZS100 will offer more detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots much more aggressively. The newer ZS100 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.