Panasonic F5 vs Sony A300

Following is a extended comparison of the Panasonic F5 and Sony A300, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the F5 (14MP) and A300 (10MP) and the F5 (1/2.3") and A300 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The F5 was introduced 5 years after the A300 which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic F5 being a Compact camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief view of how the F5 matches up vs the A300 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic F5 Gallery & Sony A300 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera, you're going to have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic F5 enjoys exterior dimensions of 97mm x 58mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs) while the Sony A300 has dimensions of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic F5 and Sony A300 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the F5 and the A300.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the F5 and A300 is 96 and 64 respectively.

Typically, it is very tough to envision the gap between sensor sizes merely by reviewing a spec sheet. The image here will help offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the F5 and A300.

Clearly, both of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The F5 with its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Panasonic F5 will offer more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos way more aggressively. The younger F5 will have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.