Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Panasonic SZ5 and Canon 650D side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic SZ5 has external dimensions of 104 x 58 x 21 mm (4.09 x 2.28 x 0.83″) and weighs 136 g (0.30 lb / 4.80 oz) (including batteries). Canon 650D has external dimensions of 133 x 100 x 79 mm (5.24 x 3.94 x 3.11″) and weighs 575 g (1.27 lb / 20.28 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Panasonic SZ5 and the Canon 650D. Panasonic SZ5 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 29mm narrower, 42mm shorter and 58mm thinner than Canon 650D. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic SZ5 has a built-in lens but Canon 650D doesn't. Once you put a lens on 650D, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Panasonic SZ5 and Canon 650D.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic SZ5 and Canon 650D.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Panasonic SZ5 is significantly lighter (439g ) than the Canon 650D 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 650D, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither the Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5 nor Canon EOS 650D (EOS Rebel T4i / EOS Kiss X6i) provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections: Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Panasonic SZ5 and Canon 650D's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.
On the other hand, Canon 650D 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 SZ5's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to 650D.