Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony NEX-5T
92 Imaging
35 Features
30 Overall
33


89 Imaging
57 Features
79 Overall
65
Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony NEX-5T Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-300mm (F3.3-4.9) lens
- 214g - 103 x 60 x 32mm
- Launched June 2010
- Alternative Name is Lumix DMC-TZ8
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 25600
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 276g - 111 x 59 x 39mm
- Launched August 2013
- Previous Model is Sony NEX-5R

Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony NEX-5T Overview
Below, we are matching up the Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony NEX-5T, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the resolutions of the ZS5 (12MP) and NEX-5T (16MP) and the ZS5 (1/2.3") and NEX-5T (APS-C) come with different sensor sizing.

The ZS5 was brought out 4 years earlier than the NEX-5T which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5T being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a simple overview of how the ZS5 scores vs the NEX-5T when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony NEX-5T Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 & Sony Alpha NEX-5T. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS5 Gallery & Sony NEX-5T Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS5 over the Sony NEX-5T
ZS5 | NEX-5T |
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Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5T over the Panasonic ZS5
NEX-5T | ZS5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | August 2013 | ![]() | June 2010 | Newer by 38 months |
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial exact focusing | ||
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 922k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper display (+692k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Common features in the Panasonic ZS5 and Sony NEX-5T
ZS5 | NEX-5T |
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Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony NEX-5T Physical Comparison
If you are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS5 provides physical measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5T has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).
Take a look at the Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony NEX-5T in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at the time. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the ZS5 vs the NEX-5T.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the ZS5 and NEX-5T is 92 and 89 respectively.

Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony NEX-5T Sensor Comparison
Generally, it can be difficult to picture the gap between sensor dimensions merely by reading specs. The picture here should give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS5 and NEX-5T.
As you can plainly see, the two cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The ZS5 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony NEX-5T will offer you extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos much more aggressively. The more aged ZS5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.

Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony NEX-5T Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony NEX-5T Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 | Sony Alpha NEX-5T | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Panasonic | Sony |
Model type | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 | Sony Alpha NEX-5T |
Also referred to as | Lumix DMC-TZ8 | - |
Type | Small Sensor Superzoom | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Launched | 2010-06-16 | 2013-08-27 |
Body design | Compact | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Venus Engine HD II | Bionz |
Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 27.7mm² | 365.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4912 x 3264 |
Max native ISO | 6400 | 25600 |
Lowest native ISO | 80 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Total focus points | 11 | 99 |
Cross type focus points | - | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | Sony E |
Lens zoom range | 25-300mm (12.0x) | - |
Highest aperture | f/3.3-4.9 | - |
Macro focusing distance | 3cm | - |
Total lenses | - | 121 |
Crop factor | 5.9 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Display size | 2.7" | 3" |
Resolution of display | 230k dot | 922k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Display tech | - | Tilt Up 180° Down 50° TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | Electronic (optional) |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/1300 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 2.0 frames/s | 10.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 5.30 m | 7.00 m (ISO100) |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | - | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | 1920 x1080 (60p/60i/24p) |
Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 214 grams (0.47 lbs) | 276 grams (0.61 lbs) |
Dimensions | 103 x 60 x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") | 111 x 59 x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | not tested | 78 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 23.6 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 13.0 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 1015 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 330 pictures |
Battery format | - | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | NPFW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes ((10/2 sec. delay), Self-timer (Cont.) (with 10 sec. delay; 3/5 exposures)) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail pricing | $300 | $400 |