Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony NEX-5R

On this page, we will be comparing the Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony NEX-5R, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a big gap among the image resolutions of the ZS100 (20MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the ZS100 (1") and NEX-5R (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS100 was announced 3 years after the NEX-5R which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the ZS100 scores vs the NEX-5R with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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

For anyone who is aiming to travel with your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS100 has outer dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5R has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony NEX-5R in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use during that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the ZS100 compared to the NEX-5R.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS100 and NEX-5R is 87 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it's difficult to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions just by looking through specs. The image below might give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS100 and NEX-5R.

As you can plainly see, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The ZS100 having a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field trickier and the Panasonic ZS100 will result in greater detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The newer ZS100 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.