Panasonic FH2 vs Panasonic ZS100

The following is a detailed review of the Panasonic FH2 and Panasonic ZS100, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and both of them are created by Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the FH2 (14MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the FH2 (1/2.3") and ZS100 (1") have different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FH2 was manufactured 6 years before the ZS100 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH2 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a brief summary of how the FH2 scores versus the ZS100 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic FH2 Gallery and Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FH2 provides outside dimensions of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") along with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS100 has proportions of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FH2 and Panasonic ZS100 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the FH2 vs the ZS100.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FH2 and ZS100 is 96 and 87 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by checking specifications. The picture below might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the FH2 and ZS100.

To sum up, the two cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FH2 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field tougher and the Panasonic ZS100 will give you more detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged FH2 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.