✦ SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARE

Nikon Z6 III vs Panasonic Lumix S5: which is better?

Nikon Z6 III and Panasonic Lumix S5 compared side by side across 123 specs and 13 scored categories — every winner highlighted, so the right pick is obvious.

2 PRODUCTS · 123 SPECS · 13 SCORED CATEGORIES · LIVE RE-RANKING
COMPARING
2 / 4
CAMERAS
Add or remove products — every chart and spec row re-ranks live.
← TOP PICK
Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera
NIKON
Nikon Z6 III
$2,499
BEST OVERALL
Panasonic Lumix S5 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera
PANASONIC
Panasonic Lumix S5
$1,999
BEST VALUE
+
Add product
2 AVAILABLE
⚡ COMPARZONE VERDICT

The Nikon Z6 III takes the overall win.

Highest composite at 8.9/10 — 0.2 ahead of the Panasonic Lumix S5. Dead heat on battery. Scroll for the category-by-category breakdown.

View best price →
CATEGORY WINS · 13 SCOREDTIES SHOWN GREY
AUTO
BATT
BUIL
DESI
FEAT
IMAG
OPTI
PERF
THEV
USER
VIDE
VIDE
DOXM
Nikon Z6 III×9
Panasonic Lumix S5×1
Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless CameraBEST OVERALL
Panasonic Lumix S5 Full-Frame Mirrorless CameraBEST VALUE
01 · SCORE RADAR

Performance profile

CLICK A PRODUCT TO ISOLATE ITS SHAPE
246810AUTOFOCUSBATTERYBUILDDESIGNFEATURESIMAGE QUALITYOPTICSPERFORMANCETHE VERDICTUSER REVIEWSVIDEOGRAPHYVIDEODOXMARK
LARGEST GAPDOXMARK — Panasonic Lumix S5 leads by 9.0
TIGHTESTBATTERY — dead heat between the top two
02 · CATEGORY BREAKDOWN

Category showdown

Z6 IIILUMIX S5
AutofocusiNikon Z6 III · +1.5
Z6 III9.0
LUMIX S57.5
BATTERYiTIED AT 7.0
Z6 III7.0
LUMIX S57.0
BuildiNikon Z6 III · +0.5
Z6 III9.0
LUMIX S58.5
DESIGNiTIED AT 8.5
Z6 III8.5
LUMIX S58.5
FEATURESiNikon Z6 III · +0.2
Z6 III9.0
LUMIX S58.8
Image QualityiTIED AT 9.0
Z6 III9.0
LUMIX S59.0
OPTICSiNikon Z6 III · +0.2
Z6 III9.0
LUMIX S58.8
PERFORMANCEiNikon Z6 III · +0.5
Z6 III9.0
LUMIX S58.5
THE VERDICTiNikon Z6 III · +0.3
Z6 III9.0
LUMIX S58.7
USER REVIEWSiNikon Z6 III · +8.8
Z6 III8.8
LUMIX S50.0
VIDEOGRAPHYiNikon Z6 III · +0.3
Z6 III9.5
LUMIX S59.2
VideoiNikon Z6 III · +0.5
Z6 III9.5
LUMIX S59.0
DOXMARKiPanasonic Lumix S5 · +9.0
Z6 III0.0
LUMIX S59.0
03 · VALUE MAP

Price vs performance

TOP-LEFT IS THE SWEET SPOT
SWEET SPOTPREMIUM PICKBUDGET TIERPOOR VALUE$2,017$2,172$2,327$2,4828.78.88.9PRICE →SCORE ↑Nikon Z6 IIIBEST DEALPanasonic Lumix S5
SCORE PER $100 · RANKED
01Panasonic Lumix S50.44BEST DEAL
02Nikon Z6 III0.36
Map shows current starting prices · trends show tracked street prices. Check live deals before deciding.
04 · THE FULL SHEET

Full specifications

123 SPECS · ALL SHOWN
SPECS
Nikon Z6 III$2,49917W8.9
Panasonic Lumix S5$1,9998W8.7
AF Pointsi
299← BEST +33%
225
Subject Detectioni
Human, Animal, Vehicle
Human, Animal (head, body, eye)
Burst RateFPSi
60 fps← BEST +757%
7 fps
Battery HealthWHi
16 Wh Wh
16 Wh
Removable BatteryiSAME
Yes
Yes
Battery Level IndicatoriSAME
Yes
Yes
Battery PowerMAHi
2280 mAh
2200 mAh
Rechargeable BatteryiSAME
Yes
Yes
Full Charge Shotsi
360-370 shots (CIPA)
470 shots (CIPA LVF)
Battery VoltageVi
7 V
7.2 V← BEST +3%
Battery Modeli
EN-EL15c
DMW-BLK22
Card Slotsi
1x CFexpress Type B, 1x SD UHS-II
Dual (1x UHS-II, 1x UHS-I)
Weather SealingiSAME
Yes
Yes
Battery (CIPA)SHOTSi
360 shots
470 shots← BEST +31%
WeightGi
760 g
714 g← 6% lighter
Weather Sealed ( Splashproof )i
Yes, extensive
Yes, splash/dust resistant
Screen Resolutioni
2.1 m dots
1,840,000 dots
Touch ScreeniSAME
Yes
Yes
System Camerai
Mirrorless
Yes (mirrorless)
EVF ResolutionM DOTSi
5.76 m dots← BEST +144%
2.36 m dots
Screen SizeINCHi
3.2 inch← BEST +7%
3 inch
Hot ShoeiSAME
Yes
Yes
FlashiSAME
No
No
Flip Out ScreeniSAME
Yes
Yes
VolumeCM³i
1040.27 cm³
1032 cm³
Lowest Potential Operating Temperature°CiSAME
0 °C
0 °C
Tilting ViewfinderiSAME
No
No
EVF Refresh Rate ( Max )HZiSAME
120 Hz
120 Hz
WidthMMi
138.5 mm← BEST +4%
132.6 mm
HeightMMi
101.5 mm
102.5 mm← BEST +1%
Maximum Operating Temperature°CiSAME
40 °C
40 °C
Waterproof Depthi
0m
0
Thicknessi
68.5 mm
76 mm
Dxomark Sensor Scorei
0
93← BEST
Dxomark Sports Scorei
0
24.9← BEST
Dxomark Landscape Scorei
0
14.5← BEST
Dxomark Portrait Scorei
0
25.5← BEST
Bluetooth Versioni
5.0
4.2
Typei
Mirrorless Camera
Mirrorless Full-Frame
ViewfinderiSAME
Electronic
Electronic
Viewfinder CoverageiSAME
100
100
WeightGi
760 g← BEST +6%
714 g
Processori
EXPEED 7
Venus Engine
Release Datei
2024-06-17
2020-09-02
Wi-Fi SupportediSAME
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth SupportediSAME
Yes
Yes
Dual Card SlotsiSAME
Yes
Yes
Pixel Shift Shoti
Yes
Yes (High Resolution Mode)
Shoots RawiSAME
Yes
Yes
Supports Lossless Compressed RawiSAME
Yes
Yes
Wi-Fi Versioni
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
802.11ac
Supports A RemoteiSAME
Yes
Yes
HDMI SupportediSAME
Yes
Yes
GPS SupportiSAME
No
No
Support Live StreamingiSAME
Yes
Yes
Advanced Hot Shoei
Yes, Multi-Accessory Shoe
No
Internal StorageiSAME
No
No
HDMI Versioni
HDMI Type A 2.1
2.0 (Type D Micro)
Internal Storage SizeiSAME
0 GB
0 GB
NFC SupportediSAME
No
No
USB Type-CiSAME
Yes
Yes
External Memory SlotiSAME
Yes
Yes
Sensori
Full-frame partially stacked CMOS
Full-Frame CMOS
ResolutionMPi
24.5 MP← BEST +1%
24.2 MP
ISO Rangei
100-64000
100-51200
Dynamic RangeSTOPSiSAME
14 stops
14 stops
Stabilizationi
5-axis sensor-shift VR
5-axis Sensor-Shift (IBIS)
Sensor Sizei
Full Frame
35.6 x 23.8 mm (Full-Frame)
Lens MountiSAME
Yes
Yes
Megapixelsi
24.5 MP
24.2 MP
Maximum ISOi
64,000← BEST +25%
51,200
Sensor Shift StabilizationiSAME
Yes
Yes
Continuous Shootingi
14 fps
7 fps (AF-S), 5 fps (AF-C)
Phase Detection Autofocus For Photosi
Yes← BEST
No
Fastest Shutter SpeediSAME
1/8000 sec
1/8000 sec
Focus Pointsi
299
225
Maximum Expanded ISOiSAME
204800
204800
AF TrackingiSAME
Yes
Yes
Manual FocusiSAME
Yes
Yes
Touch AutofocusiSAME
Yes
Yes
Manual Shutter SpeediSAME
Yes
Yes
BSI SensoriSAME
Yes
Yes
Manual ExposureiSAME
Yes
Yes
Serial Shot ModeiSAME
Yes
Yes
CMOS SensoriSAME
Yes
Yes
Built In HDR ModeiSAME
Yes
Yes
Two Stage ShutteriSAME
Yes
Yes
Manual ISOiSAME
Yes
Yes
Flash Sync Speedi
1/200 sec
1/250 sec
Manual White BalanceiSAME
Yes
Yes
Exposure Timei
30s - 1/8000s
60-1/8000 sec
Image Stabilization Ratingi
8← BEST +23%
6.5
Maximum Electronic Shutter Speedi
1/16000 sec
1/8000 sec
Can Combine Image Stabilizationi
Yes (Synchro VR)
Yes (Dual I.S. 2)
Can Create Panoramas In CameraiSAME
No
No
Stacked Cmos Sensori
Yes← BEST
No
USB SupportediSAME
Yes
Yes
USB Versioni
USB 3.2 Gen 1
3.2 Gen 1
Pixel Size ( Main Camera )i
~5.9 µm
5.94 µm
Build Qualityi
9← BEST +6%
8.5
ControlsiSAME
8.5
8.5
Autofocus Pointsi
9← BEST +20%
7.5
Image QualityiSAME
9
9
Video Qualityi
9.5← BEST +6%
9
Battery LifeiSAME
7
7
Low Light Performancei
9← BEST +6%
8.5
The Verdicti
An exceptional hybrid camera for serious enthusiasts and professionals.
The Panasonic Lumix S5 is an outstanding choice for videographers and hybrid shooters seeking a compact, full-frame camera with class-leading video features and excellent image quality. While its DFD
Commentsi
Users praise its stunning EVF, robust video features, and reliable autofocus.
Overall Ratingi
10← BEST +15%
8.7
Color CombinationiSAME
10
10
Video Recording ( Main Camera )i
6K/60p, 4K/120p
4K 60p (APS-C crop), 4K 30p (full-frame)
Phase Detection Autofocus For Videosi
Yes← BEST
No
Microphone InputiSAME
Yes
Yes
Audio JackiSAME
Yes
Yes
Timelapse FunctioniSAME
Yes
Yes
Movie Bit Ratei
Up to 360 Mbps
200 Mbps
24p Cinema ModeiSAME
Yes
Yes
Supports Slow Motion Video RecordiSAME
Yes
Yes
Continuous Autofocus When Recording MoviesiSAME
Yes
Yes
Stereo MicrophoneiSAME
Yes
Yes
MicrophoneiSAME
Yes
Yes
Max Videoi
6K 60p
4K 60p
Internal Colori
10-bit N-Log/HLG
10-bit 4:2:2
ROW WINS
17
8
05 · WHICH ONE IS FOR YOU

Pick by persona

RE-RANKS LIVE AS YOU ADD OR REMOVE PRODUCTS
THE ALL-ROUNDER
Best overall
Nikon Z6 IIINIKON8.9
ALL GROUPSEQUAL WEIGHT
Best total score across weighted category factors.
RUNNER-UP · Panasonic Lumix S5 (8.7)
FOR VALUE SEEKERS
Best bang for buck
Panasonic Lumix S5PANASONIC8.7
SCORE ÷ PRICELIVE PRICES
Strongest score-to-price ratio from the available price data.
RUNNER-UP · Nikon Z6 III (0.4)
PRIORITY · DOXMARK
Best for doxmark
Panasonic Lumix S5PANASONIC9.0
DOXMARK WEIGHTEDCONF 86%
Best visible score in the doxmark category group.
RUNNER-UP · Nikon Z6 III (0.0)
PRIORITY · USER REVIEWS
Best for user reviews
Nikon Z6 IIINIKON8.8
USER REVIEWS WEIGHTEDCONF 84%
Best visible score in the user reviews category group.
RUNNER-UP · Panasonic Lumix S5 (0.0)
06 · BOTTOM LINE

Why pick each

STRENGTHS · AND ONE HONEST TRADE-OFF
#1NIKON0.0
Nikon Z6 III
The Nikon Z6 III is a versatile full-frame mirrorless camera, ideal for hybrid shooters seeking advanced video capabilities and robust photo
VIDEOGRAPHY 9.5
Video 9.5
Wins Image Quality
Wins Overall Rating
TRADE-OFFBattery life could be better
BEST OVERALLBest price →
#2PANASONIC0.0
Panasonic Lumix S5
The Panasonic Lumix S5 is a compact, full-frame mirrorless camera renowned for its exceptional video capabilities and robust image quality,
VIDEOGRAPHY 9.2
DOXMARK 9.0
Wins Battery Voltage
Wins Height
TRADE-OFFContrast-detect autofocus can struggle with tracking
BEST VALUEBest price →
Still deciding? The Nikon Z6 III is the safest pick.
COMPOSITE 8.9/10 · WINS 9 OF 13 CATEGORIES
Buy the winner →

Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera vs Panasonic Lumix S5 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera: which is better?

The Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera is our overall pick, scoring 8.9/10 against 8.7/10 for the Panasonic Lumix S5 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera — a 2% edge. Current starting prices span $1,999–$2,499. The score weighs category-specific cameras attributes, spec wins, price signals, and data confidence — not sponsorships.

  • Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera leads overall with a 8.9 total score.
  • Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera wins 68 comparable specs with a 61% weighted win rate.
  • Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera has the strongest high-impact advantage in Overall Rating.
  • Panasonic Lumix S5 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera has the best visible score-to-price balance based on available starting price.

Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless CameraWINNER 8.9/10

The Nikon Z6 III is a versatile full-frame mirrorless camera, ideal for hybrid shooters seeking advanced video capabilities and robust photo performance.

Pros

  • + Groundbreaking 5.76M-dot EVF
  • + Internal 6K/60p N-RAW video
  • + Fast 60fps full-frame RAW stills
  • + Advanced subject detection AF

Cons

  • Battery life could be better
  • No built-in GPS
  • No internal storage

Best for: Professional Videographers · Advanced Hybrid Shooters · Action and Sports Photographers

<p><strong>Verdict:</strong> The Nikon Z6 III is an outstanding hybrid camera, offering a compelling blend of speed, image quality, and advanced video features at a competitive price point, making it a top recommendation for serious creators.</p>

Panasonic Lumix S5 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera8.7/10

The Panasonic Lumix S5 is a compact, full-frame mirrorless camera renowned for its exceptional video capabilities and robust image quality, perfect for hybrid shooters.

Pros

  • + Exceptional 4K 10-bit video capabilities
  • + Excellent 5-axis in-body image stabilization
  • + Superb image quality and dynamic range
  • + Compact and lightweight full-frame design

Cons

  • Contrast-detect autofocus can struggle with tracking
  • 4K 60p video has an APS-C crop
  • Electronic viewfinder resolution is modest

Best for: Professional videographers · Hybrid photo/video creators · Travel and documentary filmmakers

<p><strong>Verdict:</strong> The Panasonic Lumix S5 is an outstanding choice for videographers and hybrid shooters seeking a compact, full-frame camera with class-leading video features and excellent image quality. While its DFD autofocus isn't the fastest…

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera or Panasonic Lumix S5 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera?

By ComparZone's weighted scoring of category-specific cameras specs, the Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera scores highest overall (8.9/10, 0.2 points ahead of the Panasonic Lumix S5 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera). It is the better all-round pick, but the right choice depends on your priorities — the spec table above shows exactly where each one wins.

What are the main differences between Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera and Panasonic Lumix S5 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera?

The biggest measurable differences are Overall Rating, Sensor, AF Points — with the Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera leading on Overall Rating. The grouped spec sheet above marks the winner of every comparable spec.

Is the Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera better value than the Panasonic Lumix S5 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera?

The Nikon Z6 III Mirrorless Camera starts around $2,499 and the Panasonic Lumix S5 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera around $1,999. Weigh the score gap against the price gap: a small score lead rarely justifies a large premium unless it comes from the specs you personally care about.

Can I compare other cameras on ComparZone?

Yes — ComparZone supports dynamic comparison pages for any 2 to 4 cameras from the same category, with verified specs, transparent scores, and live prices. See the related comparisons below or build your own from the category page.

More cameras comparisons