Canon S100 vs Panasonic FH6

Let's look more closely at the Canon S100 and Panasonic FH6, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by competitors Canon and Panasonic. The image resolution of the S100 (12MP) and the FH6 (14MP) is pretty similar but the S100 (1/1.7") and FH6 (1/2.3") posses different sensor sizes.

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The S100 was manufactured very close to the FH6 so they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief overview of how the S100 matches up vs the FH6 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot S100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH6. The entire galleries are available at Canon S100 Gallery and Panasonic FH6 Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Canon S100 offers physical measurements of 99mm x 60mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs) and the Panasonic FH6 has sizing of 96mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 119 grams (0.26 lbs).

Check the Canon S100 and Panasonic FH6 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using at the time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the S100 compared to the FH6.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the S100 and FH6 is 93 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to visualize the difference between sensor measurements purely by going over technical specs. The photograph here will help give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the S100 and FH6.

As you have seen, each of these cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The S100 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic FH6 will deliver more detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots more aggressively.