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Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS5 Comparison

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Nikon P500

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon P500
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Panasonic TS5

16 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic TS5
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Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS5 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon P500, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Panasonic TS5, which was introduced in July 2013 is a Waterproof camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, P500 is 2 years older than TS5. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon P500 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-09
  • 12MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 3200
  • 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • 494g. 116 x 84 x 103 mm

Panasonic TS5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-07-12
  • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 28-128 mm F3.3-5.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 214g. 110 x 67 x 29 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Also known as Lumix DMC-FT5
  • Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 Compare

Nikon P500 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P510. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Nikon Coolpix P500
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 (Lumix DMC-FT5)

Panasonic TS5 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS6. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS6 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 (Lumix DMC-FT5)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS6 vs Nikon Coolpix P500

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 460k dots 100% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/1500s vs 1/1300s faster mechanical shutter
Focal Length - Wide
23mm vs 28mm 5 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
810mm vs 128mm 682 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
36× vs 4.6× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele
5.70 vs 5.90 faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage
8.0m vs 5.6m 2.4m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
2.34µm2 vs 1.74µm2 34% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 over Nikon Coolpix P500
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
GPS
BuiltIn vs None track your location
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
6.400 vs 3.200 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
23 vs 9 14 more focus points
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 1.0fps 9 fps faster
Battery Life
370 shots vs 220 shots 150 more frames with a single charge
Weight
214 g vs 494 g 280 g lighter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Max Aperture - Wide
3.30 vs 3.40 faster lens at wide
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Optical Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Manual Exposure
Yes vs Yes better exposure control
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
RAW Support
No vs No Lower image quality
Max Aperture - Tele
5.70 vs 5.90 Slow lenses at tele
Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS5: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon P500 has external dimensions of 116 x 84 x 10 mm (4.57 x 3.31 x 4.06″) and weighs 494 g (1.09 lb / 17.43 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic TS5 has external dimensions of 110 x 67 x 29 mm (4.33 x 2.64 x 1.14″) and weighs 214 g (0.47 lb / 7.55 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5. Panasonic TS5 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 6mm narrower, 17mm shorter and 74mm thinner than Nikon P500.

Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS5 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5.

Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS5 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5.
Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS5 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic TS5 is significantly lighter (280g ) than the Nikon P500 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

P500
TS5
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

P500
TS5
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Nikon P500 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Panasonic TS5 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to P500.
Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS5: Sensor Comparison

Nikon P500 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Panasonic TS5 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the P500 and TS5 sensor size comparison.

Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS5 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5 Cameras


Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS5 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon P500 features a 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 36× zoom lens whereas Panasonic TS5 features a 28-128 mm F3.3-5.9 4.6× zoom lens.

Nikon P500 has 5mm wider coverage than the Panasonic TS5. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f3.30, Panasonic TS5 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon P500 has 682mm longer reach than the Panasonic TS5. At f5.70, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500
TS5
Widest - Samsung WB2200F
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

P500
TS5
Longest - Nikon P1000
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

P500
TS5
Fastest - Olympus 1
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

P500
TS5
Fastest - Sony RX10 III
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon P500 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic TS5 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic TS5 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic TS5 for Sports Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
810 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
23 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
128 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1300s
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic TS5 for Daily Photography

GOOD
35.2X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
494g
Body Thickness 103mm
Read the details
Compact Body
214g
Environmental Sealings
4.6X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic TS5 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Manual Exposure Mode
Environmental Sealings
Built-in GPS
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS5: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS5 scores compare:

Nikon P500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #50 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #556 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Panasonic TS5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #64 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #497 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic TS5 scores higher than the Nikon P500 thanks to its better general imaging quality, compact size and higher value for the money. On the other hand, Nikon P500 has some extra features which may become a game changer if you have some specific requirements.
We recommend you to read our detailed Pro's and Con's section and see if any Pro of Nikon P500 is a must-have for you. If not, choose the Panasonic TS5.

Nikon P500
Nikon P500
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Panasonic TS5
Panasonic TS5
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Panasonic TS5 vs Nikon P500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix P500 Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5
Brand Nikon Panasonic
Announced 2011-02-09 2013-07-12
Body Type SLR-like (bridge) Compact
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area 28.07mm2 27.72mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 9 23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 23-810 mm (36×) 28-128 mm (4.6×)
Max Aperture F3.4-5.7 F3.3-5.9
Macro Focus Range 1cm 5cm
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 921k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/1500s 1/1300s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 8.00 m 5.60 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 494g 214g
Dimensions 116 x 84 x 103mm 110 x 67 x 29mm
Battery Life 220 shots 370 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
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