Panasonic FH10 vs Sony A500

Below, we will be looking at the Panasonic FH10 and Sony A500, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the FH10 (16MP) and A500 (12MP) and the FH10 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The FH10 was introduced 3 years after the A500 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FH10 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving through a in-depth comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the FH10 grades vs the A500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH10 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FH10 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FH10 has outside measurements of 94mm x 54mm x 18mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") with a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs) whilst the Sony A500 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FH10 and Sony A500 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the FH10 and the A500.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the FH10 and A500 is 97 and 63 respectively.

Often, it can be tough to see the contrast in sensor sizes only by going through technical specs. The pic here might give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the FH10 and A500.

As you can tell, both of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The FH10 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Panasonic FH10 will provide extra detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more recent FH10 will have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.