Panasonic FH3 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Below is a extended review of the Panasonic FH3 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the FH3 (14MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is very close but the FH3 (1/2.3") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The FH3 was introduced 3 years prior to the SD1 Merrill and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FH3 being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summary of how the FH3 matches up versus the SD1 Merrill in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3 and Sigma SD1 Merrill. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic FH3 Gallery and Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FH3 offers external measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs) whilst the Sigma SD1 Merrill has proportions of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FH3 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you select at that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the FH3 and the SD1 Merrill.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FH3 and SD1 Merrill is 94 and 57 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to envision the contrast in sensor measurements just by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic below will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the FH3 and SD1 Merrill.

Clearly, each of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FH3 with its smaller sensor will make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will provide you with extra detail using its extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older FH3 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.