Panasonic GH1 vs Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5N advantages over Panasonic GH1

• Less expensive
  $700 vs $1500 (MSRP)
  Save money for lenses or accessories
• Larger sensor
  APS-C vs 4/3
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 4.82 vs 3.98 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• In-camera panoramas
  Yes vs No
  Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  NEX-5N test data on DxO Mark GH1 test data on DxO Mark
  1,079 vs 772 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• Longer stills battery life
  More info

  Longer stills battery life

  Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

  Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

  430 vs 320 shots
  Capture more photos
• More dots on screen
  922k vs 460k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• Less shutter lag
  0.23 vs 0.34 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• More pixels
  16.1 vs 12.1 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Faster JPEG shooting
  10.0 fps vs 2.5 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Higher extended ISO
  25600 vs 3200 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility