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Panasonic S5 vs Leica SL Comparison

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Panasonic S5

24 MP | Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic S5
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Leica SL

24 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Leica SL
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Panasonic S5 vs Leica SL Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing S5 and SL, two Pro Mirrorless cameras from Panasonic and Leica. Panasonic S5 was introduced to market in August 2020 and Leica SL was launched in October 2015. As you can see, SL is 5 years older than S5. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic S5 and Leica SL before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic S5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2020-08-14
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 51200 ( expands to 50 - 204800)
  • Leica L Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 7.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 714g. 133 x 97 x 82 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Leica SL Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-10-21
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 50 - 50000
  • Leica L Mount
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 4400k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 11.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (DCI) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 847g. 147 x 104 x 39 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Also known as Typ 601

Panasonic S5 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II vs Panasonic S5
Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Leica SL was replaced by Leica SL2. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Leica SL2 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)
Leica SL2 vs Panasonic S5

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic S5 and Leica SL compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 over Leica SL
Video Record Limit
Unlimited vs Limited Record clips longer than 30 minutes
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Max ISO
51.200 vs 50.000 2% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
225 vs 49 176 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.840k dots vs 1.040k dots 76% higher resolution screen
Battery Life
440 shots vs 400 shots 40 more frames with a single charge
Weight
714 g vs 847 g 133 g lighter
Color Depth
25.1 vs 25.0 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
14.5 vs 13.4 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
2697 vs 1821 better High ISO performance
Selfie & Vlogger LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (96 MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
4K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
6K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 18MP photos from Video footage
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Post Focus Mode
Yes vs No Change focus point after taking a shot
Digital video stabilization
Yes vs No Stabilizes your videos in-camera
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK S5 PRICE


Reasons to choose Leica SL over Panasonic Lumix DC-S5
Internal Storage
2GB vs None Extra built-in storage
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.8x vs 0.74x Larger Viewfinder
GPS
BuiltIn vs None track your location
Continuous Shooting
11.0fps vs 7.0fps 4 fps faster
Viewfinder Resolution
4400k dot vs 2360k dot 86% higher resolution
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
CHECK SL PRICE

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Leica SL
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
24 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs Yes better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Storage Slot
2 vs 2 Extra Storage Slot
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs UHS-II Read/Write in High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Leica SL
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
Panasonic S5 vs Leica SL: 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 Panasonic S5 and Leica SL side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic S5 has external dimensions of 133 x 97 x 82 mm (5.24 x 3.82 x 3.23″) and weighs 714 g (1.57 lb) (including batteries). Leica SL has external dimensions of 147 x 104 x 39 mm (5.79 x 4.09 x 1.54″) and weighs 847 g (1.87 lb / 29.88 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic S5 and Leica SL. Panasonic S5 is 14mm narrower and 7mm shorter than Leica SL but it is also 43mm thicker.

Panasonic S5 vs Leica SL Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Leica SL Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic S5 and Leica SL.

Panasonic S5 vs Leica SL Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Leica SL Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic S5 and Leica SL.
Panasonic S5 vs Leica SL Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Leica SL Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic S5 is significantly lighter (133g ) than the Leica SL which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Panasonic S5 and Leica SL have the same Leica L lens mount and Full frame sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

S5
SL
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

S5
SL
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both S5 and SL have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic S5 and Leica SL's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Panasonic S5 sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. Leica SL's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to S5.
Panasonic S5 vs Leica SL: Sensor Comparison

Both Panasonic S5 and Leica SL have Full frame sized 24.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Leica SL and Panasonic S5 sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the S5 and SL sensor size comparison.

Panasonic S5 vs Leica SL Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Leica SL Cameras


Panasonic S5 and Leica SL 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.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Panasonic S5 and Leica SL sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, S5 has scored 94, 6 points higher than SL.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Panasonic S5 94 25.1 bits 14.5 Evs 2697 ISO
Leica SL 88 25.0 bits 13.4 Evs 1821 ISO
Panasonic S5 vs Leica SL Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Panasonic S5 and Leica SL have the same Leica L and have total of 58 lenses to choose from.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Panasonic S5 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. S5's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 6.5-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Leica SL doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 9 lenses for Leica L mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Panasonic S5 Lenses # of Leica SL Lenses
Standard Zoom 8 (7 Full Frame) 8 (7 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 11 (10 Full Frame) 11 (10 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 5 (5 Full Frame) 5 (5 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 18 (17 Full Frame) 18 (17 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 7 (7 Full Frame) 7 (7 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 7 (7 Full Frame) 7 (7 Full Frame)
SuperZoom n/a n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime n/a n/a
Macro Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) 2 (2 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 58 (55 Full Frame) 58 (55 Full Frame)

Here are some of the most popular Leica L Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Leica L Mount Lenses for S5 and SL
Model Coverage Weight Focusing Street Price
Panasonic Lumix S 35mm F1.8 Lens Panasonic Lumix S 35mm F1.8
35mm FF 295gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix S Pro 24-70mm F2.8 Lens Panasonic Lumix S Pro 24-70mm F2.8
35mm FF 935gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm F4 Macro OIS Lens Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm F4 Macro OIS
35mm FF 680gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Leica APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90-280 mm F2.8-4 Lens Leica APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90-280 mm F2.8-4
35mm FF 1710gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS S Lens Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS S
35mm FF 2100gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 70mm F2.8 DG Macro Art Lens Sigma 70mm F2.8 DG Macro Art
35mm FF 515gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 24-70 F2.8 DG DN Art Lens Sigma 24-70 F2.8 DG DN Art
35mm FF 835gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm F2.8-4 ASPH Lens Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm F2.8-4 ASPH
35mm FF 1140gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Panasonic S5 and Leica SL Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic S5 and Leica SL 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.

Panasonic S5 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Leica SL for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica SL for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Leica SL for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
49 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Leica SL for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
714g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
847g
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Leica SL for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Built-in GPS
Read the details

Panasonic S5 vs Leica SL: 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 Panasonic S5 and Leica SL, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 Panasonic S5 and Leica SL scores compare:

Panasonic S5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #30 out of 109 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #32 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Leica SL
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #44 out of 109 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #59 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Panasonic S5 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Leica SL in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Panasonic S5.

Panasonic S5
Panasonic S5
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Leica SL
Leica SL
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Leica SL vs Panasonic S5 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Leica SL
Brand Panasonic Leica
Announced 2020-08-14 2015-10-21
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.6 x 23.8 mm 36 x 24 mm
Area 847.28mm2 864.00mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 51,200 ISO 50,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 204800 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 50 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 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 225 49
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Leica L Leica L
Number of Available Lenses 58 58
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,840k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots 4,400k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.74x 0.8x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/8000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync 1/250s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps 11.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264, H.265 MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 714g 847g
Dimensions 133 x 97 x 82mm 147 x 104 x 39mm
Battery Life 440 shots 400 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 94 88
DxO Color Depth 25.1 25.0
DxO Dynamic Range 14.5 13.4
DxO Low Light ISO 2697 1821
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