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Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic FZ80 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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Panasonic FZ80

18 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

Panasonic FZ80
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Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic FZ80 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Panasonic cameras cameras with different body types: Panasonic S5, which was introduced in August 2020 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Panasonic FZ80, which was introduced in January 2017 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 18.0MP 1/2.3 sensor. As you can see, FZ80 is 3 years older than S5. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic FZ80 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

Panasonic FZ80 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-01-04
  • 18MP - 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 3200 ( expands to 6400)
  • 20-1200 mm F2.8-5.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1166k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 616g. 130 x 94 x 119 mm
  • Also known as Lumix DMC-FZ85

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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 (Lumix DMC-FZ82)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic S5 and Panasonic FZ80 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80
Video Record Limit
Unlimited vs Limited Record clips longer than 30 minutes
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.74x vs 0.46x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 18 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
51.200 vs 3.200 1500% 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
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
440 shots vs 330 shots 110 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Viewfinder Resolution
2360k dot vs 1166k dot 102% higher resolution
Sensor Pixel Area
35.30µm2 vs 1.56µm2 2162% larger pixel area
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (96 MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
6K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 18MP photos from Video footage
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
USB Version
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Faster Data transfer from the 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 over Panasonic Lumix DC-S5
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Max Elect. Shutter
1/16000s vs 1/8000s faster electronic shutter
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 7.0fps 3 fps faster
Weight
616 g vs 714 g 98 g lighter
CHECK FZ80 PRICE

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Optical Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
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 18 MP Bigger prints and more details
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
4K Photo Mode
Yes vs Yes Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs Yes Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Post Focus Mode
Yes vs Yes Change focus point after taking a shot
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs UHS-I Read/Write in High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80
Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic FZ80: 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 Panasonic FZ80 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). Panasonic FZ80 has external dimensions of 130 x 94 x 119 mm (5.12 x 3.7 x 4.69″) and weighs 616 g (1.36 lb / 21.73 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic FZ80. Panasonic FZ80 is 3mm narrower and 3mm shorter than Panasonic S5 but it is also 37mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic FZ80 has a built-in lens but Panasonic S5 doesn't. Once you put a lens on S5, its thickness will increase significantly.

Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic FZ80 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic FZ80 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic FZ80.

Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic FZ80 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic FZ80 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic FZ80.
Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic FZ80 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic FZ80 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on S5, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that S5 has a big advantage over FZ80 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic S5 and Panasonic FZ80'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. Panasonic FZ80's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to S5.
Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic FZ80: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic S5 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Panasonic FZ80 has a 18.0MP 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor.

Panasonic S5's sensor provides 6MP more than Panasonic FZ80's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Panasonic S5's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. 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 FZ80 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic FZ80 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic FZ80 Cameras


As seen above, Panasonic S5 has a 30.2x Larger sensor area than Panasonic FZ80. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Panasonic S5 and Panasonic FZ80 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic S5 and Panasonic FZ80 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

Panasonic FZ80 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
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
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3 sensor
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic FZ80 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
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
20 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3 sensor
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic FZ80 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
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
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
49 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
1200 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Environmental Sealings
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic FZ80 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
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
60.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3 sensor
616g
Body Thickness 119mm
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic FZ80 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
20 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic FZ80: 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 Panasonic FZ80, 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 Panasonic FZ80 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
Panasonic FZ80
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #17 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #306 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Panasonic S5 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic FZ80 in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Panasonic S5
Panasonic S5
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Panasonic FZ80
Panasonic FZ80
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Panasonic FZ80 vs Panasonic S5 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80
Brand Panasonic Panasonic
Announced 2020-08-14 2017-01-04
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Full frame 1/2.3
Dimensions 35.6 x 23.8 mm 6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area 847.28mm2 28.07mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 18 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 4896 x 3672
Max Native Light sensitivity 51,200 ISO 3,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 204800 ISO 6400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 80 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 fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 20-1200 mm (60x)
Max Aperture no lens F2.8-5.9
Macro Focus Range no lens 1cm
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 1,166k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.74x 0.46x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/2000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/8000s 1/16000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 14.10 m (at Auto ISO)
Max Flash Sync 1/250s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps 10.0 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, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 714g 616g
Dimensions 133 x 97 x 82mm 130 x 94 x 119mm
Battery Life 440 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 94 not tested
DxO Color Depth 25.1 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 14.5 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 2697 not tested
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