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Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic SZ1 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 SZ1

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

Panasonic SZ1
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Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic SZ1 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 SZ1, which was introduced in January 2012 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, SZ1 is 8 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 SZ1 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 SZ1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-01-09
  • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 25-250 mm F3.1-5.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1.0fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 131g. 99 x 59 x 21 mm

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-SZ1

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic S5 and Panasonic SZ1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1
Video Record Limit
Unlimited vs Limited Record clips longer than 30 minutes
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 16 MP 50% more pixels
Max ISO
51.200 vs 6.400 700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
225 vs 23 202 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.840k dots vs 230k dots 700% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/1600s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
7.0fps vs 1.0fps 6 fps faster
Battery Life
440 shots vs 250 shots 190 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
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
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area
35.30µm2 vs 1.74µm2 1928% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
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
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
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-SZ1 over Panasonic Lumix DC-S5
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Internal Storage
70 MB vs None Extra built-in storage
Weight
131 g vs 714 g 583 g lighter
CHECK SZ1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Optical Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1
New4
Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic SZ1: 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 SZ1 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 SZ1 has external dimensions of 99 x 59 x 21 mm (3.9 x 2.32 x 0.83″) and weighs 131 g (0.29 lb / 4.62 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic SZ1. Panasonic SZ1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 34mm narrower, 38mm shorter and 61mm thinner than Panasonic S5. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic SZ1 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 SZ1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic SZ1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic SZ1.

Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic SZ1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic SZ1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic SZ1.
Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic SZ1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic SZ1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic SZ1 is significantly lighter (583g ) than the Panasonic S5 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

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 SZ1 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic S5 and Panasonic SZ1'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 SZ1's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to S5.
Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic SZ1: 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 SZ1 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Panasonic S5's sensor provides 8MP more than Panasonic SZ1'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 SZ1 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic SZ1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Panasonic SZ1 Cameras


As seen above, Panasonic S5 has a 30.6x Larger sensor area than Panasonic SZ1. 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 SZ1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic S5 and Panasonic SZ1 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 SZ1 for Portrait Photography

POOR
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
Image Stabilization
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
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic SZ1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
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
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 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

Panasonic S5 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic SZ1 for Sports Photography

POOR
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
23 Focus Points
250 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1600s
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic SZ1 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
Compact Body
131g
Body Thickness 21mm
10.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic SZ1 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
25 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
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic S5 vs Panasonic SZ1: 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 SZ1, 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 SZ1 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 SZ1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #350 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1040 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Panasonic S5 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic SZ1 in all criteria except one: Portability. Panasonic SZ1 is significantly smaller than Panasonic S5. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic SZ1. Otherwise, Panasonic S5 is the better camera overall.

Panasonic S5
Panasonic S5
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Panasonic SZ1
Panasonic SZ1
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Panasonic SZ1 vs Panasonic S5 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1
Brand Panasonic Panasonic
Announced 2020-08-14 2012-01-09
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor
Type CMOS CCD
Size Full frame 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 35.6 x 23.8 mm 6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area 847.28mm2 27.72mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 51,200 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 204800 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 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 23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Leica L fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 25-250 mm (10×)
Max Aperture no lens F3.1-5.9
Macro Focus Range no lens 4cm
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,840k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.74x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/1600s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/8000s n/a
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 5.60 m
Max Flash Sync 1/250s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps 1.0 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 1280 x 720
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264, H.265 MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 714g 131g
Dimensions 133 x 97 x 82mm 99 x 59 x 21mm
Battery Life 440 shots 250 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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