Panasonic FH20 vs Sony ZV-1

Below is a detailed review of the Panasonic FH20 vs Sony ZV-1, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the image resolutions of the FH20 (14MP) and ZV-1 (20MP) and the FH20 (1/2.3") and ZV-1 (1") enjoy different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The FH20 was manufactured 11 years prior to the ZV-1 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FH20 being a Compact camera and the Sony ZV-1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a concise summation of how the FH20 matches up versus the ZV-1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 and Sony ZV-1. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic FH20 Gallery and Sony ZV-1 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FH20 features exterior measurements of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs) while the Sony ZV-1 has proportions of 105mm x 60mm x 44mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 294 grams (0.65 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FH20 vs Sony ZV-1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the FH20 and the ZV-1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FH20 and ZV-1 is 93 and 88 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to visualize the gap between sensor measurements simply by looking at specs. The visual here will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the FH20 and ZV-1.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FH20 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Sony ZV-1 will give you extra detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The older FH20 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.