Panasonic FH27 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill

On this page, we are contrasting the Panasonic FH27 and Sigma DP2 Merrill, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Panasonic and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the FH27 (16MP) and the DP2 Merrill (15MP) is very well matched but the FH27 (1/2.3") and DP2 Merrill (APS-C) offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The FH27 was brought out 13 months prior to the DP2 Merrill making them a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH27 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP2 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summation of how the FH27 matches up against the DP2 Merrill with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH27 & Sigma DP2 Merrill. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic FH27 Gallery & Sigma DP2 Merrill Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FH27 has physical dimensions of 99mm x 57mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") with a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) while the Sigma DP2 Merrill has dimensions of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") having a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FH27 and Sigma DP2 Merrill in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the FH27 against the DP2 Merrill.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FH27 and DP2 Merrill is 94 and 83 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to see the contrast between sensor measurements just by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic underneath might offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FH27 and DP2 Merrill.

As you can see, both of those cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FH27 because of its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Panasonic FH27 will give greater detail having its extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older FH27 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.