Nikon S30 vs Panasonic FH5

Below is a thorough comparison of the Nikon S30 and Panasonic FH5, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by manufacturers Nikon and Panasonic. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the S30 (10MP) and FH5 (16MP) and the S30 (1/3") and FH5 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor size.

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The S30 was announced 14 months later than the FH5 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go straight into a full comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the S30 grades against the FH5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix S30 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5. The whole galleries are provided at Nikon S30 Gallery and Panasonic FH5 Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Nikon S30 comes with physical dimensions of 102mm x 65mm x 40mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.6") having a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH5 has dimensions of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

See the Nikon S30 and Panasonic FH5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the S30 against the FH5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S30 and FH5 is 90 and 96 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to see the contrast in sensor measurements purely by checking out a spec sheet. The graphic below may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the S30 and FH5.

As you can see, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The S30 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF harder and the Panasonic FH5 will produce extra detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The more modern S30 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.