Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony NEX-5N

Following is a thorough overview of the Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony NEX-5N, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap between the image resolutions of the ZS3 (10MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the ZS3 (1/2.3") and NEX-5N (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The ZS3 was announced 3 years earlier than the NEX-5N which is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a short summation of how the ZS3 scores against the NEX-5N when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 & Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS3 Gallery & Sony NEX-5N Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera often, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS3 features physical dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5N has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony NEX-5N in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the ZS3 vs the NEX-5N.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS3 and NEX-5N is 91 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to visualise the difference between sensor sizes just by looking at technical specs. The pic here may offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS3 and NEX-5N.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The ZS3 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-5N will give you more detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged ZS3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.