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Panasonic FH2 vs Sony A230

Portability
96
Imaging
37
Features
33
Overall
35
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH2 front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 front
Portability
69
Imaging
50
Features
40
Overall
46

Panasonic FH2 vs Sony A230 Key Specs

Panasonic FH2
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-112mm (F3.1-6.5) lens
  • 121g - 94 x 54 x 19mm
  • Launched January 2011
  • Alternative Name is Lumix DMC-FS16
Sony A230
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 490g - 128 x 97 x 68mm
  • Released May 2009
  • Superseded the Sony A200
  • Replacement is Sony A290
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Panasonic FH2 vs Sony A230 Overview

Below is a in-depth review of the Panasonic FH2 and Sony A230, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the FH2 (14MP) and A230 (10MP) and the FH2 (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The FH2 was unveiled 20 months later than the A230 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FH2 being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving through a more detailed comparison, below is a brief summation of how the FH2 grades versus the A230 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Photography Glossary
	
	

Reasons to pick Panasonic FH2 over the Sony A230

 FH2 A230 
ReleasedJanuary 2011May 2009More recent by 20 months

Reasons to pick Sony A230 over the Panasonic FH2

 A230 FH2 
Manual focus Dial accurate focus

Common features in the Panasonic FH2 and Sony A230

 FH2 A230 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen dimension2.7"2.7"Identical screen sizing
Screen resolution230k230kExact same screen resolution
Selfie screen Neither contains selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Lack of Touch friendly screen

Panasonic FH2 vs Sony A230 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera, you should factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic FH2 has got outer dimensions of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs) and the Sony A230 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FH2 and Sony A230 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the FH2 vs the A230.

Panasonic FH2 vs Sony A230 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the FH2 and A230 is 96 and 69 respectively.

Panasonic FH2 vs Sony A230 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic FH2 vs Sony A230 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it is hard to see the gap between sensor measurements just by reviewing specs. The photograph below will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the FH2 and A230.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FH2 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic FH2 will deliver more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The fresher FH2 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.

Panasonic FH2 vs Sony A230 sensor size comparison

Panasonic FH2 vs Sony A230 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic FH2 vs Sony A230 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic FH2 Portrait photography info
Sony A230 Portrait photography info
33
decent MP (14 megapixels)
includes face detect autofocus
no manual focus
manual mode not available
no external flash support
very small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
54
you can focus manually
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
no liveview feature
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
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Street Comparison

Panasonic FH2 Street photography advice
Sony A230 Street photography advice
67
image stabilization (Optical)
boasts focus via touch
lighter than others (121 grams)
no moving screen
very small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
67
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
screen is fixed
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Sports Comparison

Panasonic FH2 Sports photography highlights
Sony A230 Sports photography highlights
43
image stabilization (Optical)
decent MP (14MP)
includes tracking focus
great battery (270 shots)
continuous shooting slow (4.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
very small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
46
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports phase detect autofocus
no liveview feature
slow continuous shooting (3.0 fps)
low megapixels (10MP)
bad battery pack (230 shots)
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic FH2 Travel photography features
Sony A230 Travel photography features
72
great battery (270 shots)
lighter than others (121g)
boasts focus via touch
decent MP (14MP)
built-in flash
pretty wide (28mm)
lack of Timelapse function
screen isn't selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.1)
45
built-in flash
does not have Time Lapse function
bad battery pack (230 per charge)
low megapixels (10MP)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Panasonic FH2 Landscape photography highlights
Sony A230 Landscape photography highlights
41
pretty wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent MP (14 megapixels)
great battery (270 CIPA)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.1)
small screen (2.7")
manual mode not available
very small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
lack of Timelapse function
51
you can focus manually
switch lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
screen is small (2.7")
no liveview feature
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
bad battery pack (230 CIPA)
does not have Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic FH2 Vlogging features
Sony A230 Vlogging features
32
pretty wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detect autofocus
lighter than others (121g)
slow max aperture (f3.1)
screen isn't selfie friendly
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pixels)
lack of microphone support
9
can't record video
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Panasonic FH2 vs Sony A230 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic FH2 and Sony A230
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH2Sony Alpha DSLR-A230
General Information
Company Panasonic Sony
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH2 Sony Alpha DSLR-A230
Alternative name Lumix DMC-FS16 -
Type Small Sensor Compact Entry-Level DSLR
Launched 2011-01-05 2009-05-18
Physical type Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Venus Engine IV Bionz
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.08 x 4.56mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor area 27.7mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 14 megapixel 10 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 4320 x 3240 3872 x 2592
Maximum native ISO 6400 3200
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW files
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points 11 9
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens zoom range 28-112mm (4.0x) -
Highest aperture f/3.1-6.5 -
Macro focusing distance 5cm -
Available lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.9 1.5
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 2.7 inches 2.7 inches
Display resolution 230 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.55x
Features
Min shutter speed 60s 30s
Max shutter speed 1/1600s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter rate 4.0 frames/s 3.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 3.30 m 10.00 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Max flash synchronize - 1/160s
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), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) -
Maximum video resolution 1280x720 None
Video data format Motion JPEG -
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 121 grams (0.27 lb) 490 grams (1.08 lb)
Dimensions 94 x 54 x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") 128 x 97 x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 63
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.3
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 11.4
DXO Low light rating not tested 531
Other
Battery life 270 shots 230 shots
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FH50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo
Card slots One One
Retail cost $149 $569