Panasonic FH3 vs Sony A390

Let's look closer at the Panasonic FH3 versus Sony A390, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the FH3 (14MP) and the A390 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the FH3 (1/2.3") and A390 (APS-C) have totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FH3 was announced 6 months prior to the A390 so they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the FH3 grades versus the A390 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FH3 Gallery and Sony A390 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera often, you will need to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic FH3 comes with exterior measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs) and the Sony A390 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic FH3 versus Sony A390 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are employing during that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the FH3 versus the A390.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FH3 and A390 is 94 and 66 respectively.

Typically, its hard to visualise the difference between sensor sizes purely by looking at specifications. The picture below may offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the FH3 and A390.

Plainly, both of these cameras provide the same megapixels but not the same sensor sizes. The FH3 features the tinier sensor which is going to make achieving shallow depth of field harder.