Panasonic FH3 vs Sony A500
94 Imaging
36 Features
21 Overall
30
63 Imaging
52 Features
52 Overall
52
Panasonic FH3 vs Sony A500 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-140mm (F2.8-6.9) lens
- 165g - 98 x 55 x 24mm
- Released January 2010
- Alternate Name is Lumix DMC-FS11
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Revealed August 2009
- Renewed by Sony A560
Photography Glossary Panasonic FH3 vs Sony A500 Overview
On this page, we will be comparing the Panasonic FH3 and Sony A500, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. The resolution of the FH3 (14MP) and the A500 (12MP) is relatively similar but the FH3 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor dimensions.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe FH3 was introduced 5 months after the A500 which means that they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before going right into a in depth comparison, here is a concise overview of how the FH3 grades against the A500 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes Panasonic FH3 vs Sony A500 Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FH3 Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic FH3 over the Sony A500
| FH3 | A500 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Panasonic FH3
| A500 | FH3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually |  | Very exact focus | ||
| Screen type | Tilting |  | Fixed | Tilting screen |
| Screen dimensions | 3" |  | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Common features in the Panasonic FH3 and Sony A500
| FH3 | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | January 2010 |  | August 2009 | Similar age |
| Screen resolution | 230k |  | 230k | Exact same screen resolution |
| Selfie screen |  | Neither offers selfie screen | ||
| Touch friendly screen |  | No Touch friendly screen |
Panasonic FH3 vs Sony A500 Physical Comparison
For those who are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic FH3 offers exterior dimensions 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 Sony A500 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).
Look at the Panasonic FH3 and Sony A500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at that moment. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the FH3 versus the A500.
Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FH3 and A500 is 94 and 63 respectively.
Panasonic FH3 vs Sony A500 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it can be difficult to see the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by going over a spec sheet. The pic below should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FH3 and A500.
Clearly, each of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FH3 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Panasonic FH3 will offer more detail using its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively.
Panasonic FH3 vs Sony A500 Screen and ViewFinder
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banStreet Comparison
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesSports Comparison
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideTravel Comparison
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsLandscape Comparison
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthVlogging Comparison
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone
Panasonic FH3 vs Sony A500 Specifications
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Panasonic | Sony |
| Model type | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 |
| Also called | Lumix DMC-FS11 | - |
| Class | Small Sensor Compact | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Released | 2010-01-06 | 2009-08-27 |
| Body design | Compact | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | - | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 27.7mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 14MP | 12MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 4320 x 3240 | 4272 x 2848 |
| Max native ISO | 6400 | 12800 |
| Minimum native ISO | 80 | 200 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect focus | ||
| Contract detect focus | ||
| Phase detect focus | ||
| Total focus points | 9 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Lens zoom range | 28-140mm (5.0x) | - |
| Maximum aperture | f/2.8-6.9 | - |
| Macro focusing range | 5cm | - |
| Available lenses | - | 143 |
| Crop factor | 5.9 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Display sizing | 2.7 inch | 3 inch |
| Resolution of display | 230k dot | 230k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 95 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.53x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
| Max shutter speed | 1/1600 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shutter speed | 6.0fps | 5.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
| Set white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash distance | 6.80 m | 12.00 m |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Max flash sync | - | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | - |
| Max video resolution | 1280x720 | None |
| Video format | Motion JPEG | - |
| Mic jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 165 grams (0.36 lb) | 630 grams (1.39 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 98 x 55 x 24mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | not tested | 64 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 21.8 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.6 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 772 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 520 photos |
| Type of battery | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | - | NP-FM500H |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC card, Internal | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Cost at release | $160 | $638 |