Nikon S9700 vs Panasonic FH20

Its time to look much closer at the Nikon S9700 vs Panasonic FH20, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Nikon and Panasonic. The resolution of the S9700 (16MP) and the FH20 (14MP) is very comparable and they enjoy the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The S9700 was unveiled 4 years later than the FH20 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before getting in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple overview of how the S9700 grades vs the FH20 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon Coolpix S9700 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20. The full galleries are available at Nikon S9700 Gallery and Panasonic FH20 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera often, you're going to have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Nikon S9700 has external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") and a weight of 232 grams (0.51 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH20 has dimensions of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") and a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Look at the Nikon S9700 vs Panasonic FH20 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the S9700 versus the FH20.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the S9700 and FH20 is 90 and 93 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to visualise the gap in sensor sizing purely by checking out specs. The graphic here will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the S9700 and FH20.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same megapixels. You should expect to see the Nikon S9700 to show extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The newer S9700 will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.