Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony A6500

Here is a detailed analysis of the Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony A6500, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a significant difference between the image resolutions of the ZS5 (12MP) and A6500 (24MP) and the ZS5 (1/2.3") and A6500 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizes.

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The ZS5 was manufactured 7 years earlier than the A6500 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera and the Sony A6500 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a brief summation of how the ZS5 matches up versus the A6500 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 and Sony Alpha a6500. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS5 Gallery and Sony A6500 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS5 offers outside measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) while the Sony A6500 has specifications of 120mm x 67mm x 53mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 453 grams (1.00 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony A6500 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the ZS5 vs the A6500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the ZS5 and A6500 is 92 and 81 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing merely by checking specifications. The graphic underneath may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS5 and A6500.

Plainly, both of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The ZS5 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF harder and the Sony A6500 will give you more detail due to its extra 12MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics more aggressively. The older ZS5 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.