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Panasonic FH1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill

Portability
95
Imaging
34
Features
17
Overall
27
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1 front
 
Sigma DP2 Merrill front
Portability
83
Imaging
55
Features
33
Overall
46

Panasonic FH1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill Key Specs

Panasonic FH1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F2.8-6.9) lens
  • 163g - 98 x 55 x 23mm
  • Released January 2010
  • Other Name is Lumix DMC-FS10
Sigma DP2 Merrill
(Full Review)
  • 15MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 50mm (F2.8) lens
  • 330g - 122 x 67 x 59mm
  • Launched February 2012
  • Replaced the Sigma DP1 Merrill
  • Later Model is Sigma DP3 Merrill
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Panasonic FH1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill Overview

Here, we will be comparing the Panasonic FH1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Panasonic and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the FH1 (12MP) and the DP2 Merrill (15MP) is relatively comparable but the FH1 (1/2.3") and DP2 Merrill (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.

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The FH1 was announced 3 years earlier than the DP2 Merrill and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FH1 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP2 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a short introduction of how the FH1 scores vs the DP2 Merrill when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Panasonic FH1 over the Sigma DP2 Merrill

 FH1 DP2 Merrill 

Reasons to pick Sigma DP2 Merrill over the Panasonic FH1

 DP2 Merrill FH1 
LaunchedFebruary 2012January 2010Fresher by 25 months
Manual focus Dial exact focus
Screen size3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution920k230kClearer screen (+690k dot)

Common features in the Panasonic FH1 and Sigma DP2 Merrill

 FH1 DP2 Merrill 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen
Touch screen Lack of Touch screen

Panasonic FH1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill Physical Comparison

When you are looking to carry your camera, you will have to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FH1 comes with exterior measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 163 grams (0.36 lbs) while the Sigma DP2 Merrill has measurements of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") with a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

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Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are utilising at the time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the FH1 versus the DP2 Merrill.

Panasonic FH1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the FH1 and DP2 Merrill is 95 and 83 respectively.

Panasonic FH1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill top view buttons comparison

Panasonic FH1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it is very tough to envision the gap in sensor sizing simply by checking out technical specs. The photograph below will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the FH1 and DP2 Merrill.

As you can tell, both of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FH1 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sigma DP2 Merrill will provide more detail with its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older FH1 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.

Panasonic FH1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill sensor size comparison

Panasonic FH1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic FH1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic FH1 Portrait photography factors
Sigma DP2 Merrill Portrait photography factors
20
focusing manually not possible
no manual control
no external flash support
low MP (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
73
has manual focus
resolution is good (15MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Panasonic FH1 as a Street photography camera
Sigma DP2 Merrill as a Street photography camera
56
image stabilization (Optical)
no articulating screen
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
65
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
no moving screen
no image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Panasonic FH1
Sports photography with Sigma DP2 Merrill
25
image stabilization (Optical)
max frames per second low (6.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
low MP (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no phase detect autofocus
44
resolution is good (15 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
fixed focal length (50mm)
very slow continuous shooting (4.0 fps)
no image stabilization
no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic FH1 Travel photography factors
Sigma DP2 Merrill Travel photography factors
58
flash built-in
quite wide (28mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
low MP (12 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f2.8)
54
resolution is good (15 megapixels)
lack of Time Lapse function
display is not selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Panasonic FH1 Landscape photography information
Sigma DP2 Merrill Landscape photography information
32
quite wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f2.8)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
no manual control
low MP (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
55
has manual focus
good sized screen (3 inches)
resolution is good (15 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
can't change lens (fixed lens mount)
fixed focal length (50mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
no image stabilization
lack of Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic FH1 Vlogging details
Sigma DP2 Merrill Vlogging details
29
quite wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
slow max aperture (f2.8)
display isn't selfie friendly
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
doesn't have mic support
22
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
display is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
video res low (640 x 480 pixels)
lack of external mic port
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Panasonic FH1 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic FH1 and Sigma DP2 Merrill
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1Sigma DP2 Merrill
General Information
Manufacturer Panasonic Sigma
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1 Sigma DP2 Merrill
Otherwise known as Lumix DMC-FS10 -
Type Small Sensor Compact Large Sensor Compact
Released 2010-01-06 2012-02-08
Body design Compact Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Chip - Dual TRUE II engine
Sensor type CCD CMOS (Foveon X3)
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.08 x 4.56mm 24 x 16mm
Sensor area 27.7mm² 384.0mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 15 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 -
Max resolution 4000 x 3000 4704 x 3136
Max native ISO 6400 6400
Lowest native ISO 80 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points 9 -
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 28-140mm (5.0x) 50mm (1x)
Maximum aperture f/2.8-6.9 f/2.8
Macro focusing range 5cm -
Crop factor 5.9 1.5
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 2.7 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 230 thousand dot 920 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Min shutter speed 60s -
Max shutter speed 1/1600s -
Continuous shutter speed 6.0fps 4.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 6.80 m no built-in flash
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro no built-in flash
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 640x480
Max video resolution 1280x720 640x480
Video file format Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 163g (0.36 lb) 330g (0.73 lb)
Physical dimensions 98 x 55 x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") 122 x 67 x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) -
Time lapse shooting
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal -
Storage slots One One
Retail price $150 $931