Panasonic ZS7 vs Sony NEX-5R

Here, we are evaluating the Panasonic ZS7 vs Sony NEX-5R, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the ZS7 (12MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the ZS7 (1/2.3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The ZS7 was manufactured 13 months earlier than the NEX-5R making them a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS7 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the ZS7 grades against the NEX-5R with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 and Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS7 Gallery and Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS7 provides physical dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5R has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZS7 vs Sony NEX-5R in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the ZS7 and the NEX-5R.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS7 and NEX-5R is 91 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to see the difference in sensor measurements purely by viewing a spec sheet. The visual below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS7 and NEX-5R.

Clearly, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The ZS7 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony NEX-5R will render extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The older ZS7 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.