Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony NEX-3N

Let's look much closer at the Panasonic ZS5 and Sony NEX-3N, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the ZS5 (12MP) and NEX-3N (16MP) and the ZS5 (1/2.3") and NEX-3N (APS-C) boast different sensor size.

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The ZS5 was announced 3 years prior to the NEX-3N and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the ZS5 scores against the NEX-3N with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 & Sony Alpha NEX-3N. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS5 Gallery & Sony NEX-3N Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera often, you'll have to think about its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS5 comes with outer dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3N has sizing of 110mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.4") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS5 and Sony NEX-3N in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select at that time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the ZS5 compared to the NEX-3N.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS5 and NEX-3N is 92 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to picture the difference in sensor sizing simply by going through a spec sheet. The photograph here should give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS5 and NEX-3N.

As you can see, both of those cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The ZS5 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony NEX-3N will provide extra detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures way more aggressively. The older ZS5 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.