Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony RX10 III

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic ZS5 and Sony RX10 III, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the ZS5 (12MP) and RX10 III (20MP) and the ZS5 (1/2.3") and RX10 III (1") have totally different sensor measurements.

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The ZS5 was unveiled 6 years prior to the RX10 III and that is a fairly serious 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 RX10 III being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a brief summary of how the ZS5 matches up vs the RX10 III in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS5 Gallery & Sony RX10 III Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS5 has got outside 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 RX10 III has proportions of 133mm x 94mm x 127mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.0") having a weight of 1051 grams (2.32 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic ZS5 and Sony RX10 III in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the ZS5 against the RX10 III.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS5 and RX10 III is 92 and 53 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to envision the gap in sensor measurements only by viewing specs. The graphic underneath may give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS5 and RX10 III.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The ZS5 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony RX10 III will render extra detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs way more aggressively. The older ZS5 will be behind in sensor tech.