Panasonic FH1 vs Sony A850

Following is a extended assessment of the Panasonic FH1 vs Sony A850, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the FH1 (12MP) and A850 (25MP) and the FH1 (1/2.3") and A850 (Full frame) use totally different sensor sizing.

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The FH1 was unveiled 3 months earlier than the A850 and they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FH1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving through a in depth comparison, below is a simple view of how the FH1 scores versus the A850 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FH1 Gallery & Sony A850 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry around your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic FH1 offers physical dimensions 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 A850 has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") and a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FH1 vs Sony A850 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the FH1 against the A850.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the FH1 and A850 is 95 and 54 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to see the difference in sensor sizes merely by going through a spec sheet. The pic below might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the FH1 and A850.

Clearly, each of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The FH1 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony A850 will produce more detail having an extra 13MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively.