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, Sony A850 has a 25.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
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 A850 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Sony A850 Cameras
Panasonic S5 and Sony A850 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 Sony A850 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, 15 points higher than A850.
| Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
|
Panasonic S5 |
94 |
25.1 bits |
14.5 Evs |
2697 ISO |
|
Sony A850 |
79 |
23.8 bits |
12.2 Evs |
1415 ISO |