Panasonic FH1 vs Sony A390

Let's look much closer at the Panasonic FH1 vs Sony A390, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. The resolution of the FH1 (12MP) and the A390 (14MP) is very well matched but the FH1 (1/2.3") and A390 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The FH1 was announced 6 months prior to the A390 and they are of a similar age. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FH1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the FH1 matches up against the A390 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic FH1 Gallery & Sony A390 Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera, you will need to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic FH1 has outer measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 163 grams (0.36 lbs) and the Sony A390 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FH1 vs Sony A390 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the FH1 and the A390.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FH1 and A390 is 95 and 66 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to see the gap between sensor dimensions merely by checking technical specs. The picture underneath might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the FH1 and A390.

As you can tell, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The FH1 having a tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A390 will resolve extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos far more aggressively.