Panasonic FH3 vs Sony W730

Panasonic FH3 vs Sony W730: A Thorough Comparative Look at Compact Cameras for Everyday Enthusiasts

When diving into the world of small sensor compact cameras, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options trailing behind the mirrorless and DSLR giants. Yet these compact models, often overlooked, have historically served as dependable companions for many casual and enthusiast photographers seeking portability without completely sacrificing image quality. Today, we're unpacking two noteworthy players from the early 2010s-era compact segment: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3 (FH3) and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W730 (W730). Both aimed at everyday users craving versatility in a pocketable form factor but are distinctly different beneath the hood.

Having personally handled and tested hundreds of compact cameras over the years, I’ll share an in-depth, hands-on informed comparison focusing on practical performance, technical underpinnings, and real-world usage in photographic scenarios. Let’s explore how these two cameras stack up against each other and whether either is a sensible choice for today’s buyers.

Size, Feel, and Handling: Comfort on the Go

The day-to-day utility of a compact camera often boils down to how comfortably it sits in your hand and pocket, and the FH3 and W730 offer subtly different ergonomic appeals.

Measuring 98x55x24mm and weighing 165 grams, Panasonic’s FH3 feels slightly bulkier but solidly built, offering a reassuring grip for people with average to large hands. Sony’s W730, at 93x52x22mm and a lighter 122 grams, edges out in portability and discreetness - critical for street and travel photography where size and weight influence how readily you can capture fleeting moments.

The FH3’s physical heft contributes to feeling more stable in hand, something that photographers shooting in less controlled environments will appreciate. Of course, the smaller form factor of the W730 may appeal to those prioritizing ultra-lightweight carry, but it unfortunately compromises slightly on tactile feedback and button real estate, which we will discuss shortly.

Top-Down: Controls and Usability

Spend enough time shooting outdoors and you know that how intuitively a camera lays out its controls can exponentially affect your shooting experience.

Both cameras forego dedicated manual control dials, which is unsurprising given their entry-level compact status. The FH3 offers a simplified control scheme focused on usability - the shutter button and zoom lever are snuggly placed for right-hand thumb interaction, coupled with a physically prominent on/off switch that minimizes accidental triggering.

Sony’s W730 goes a bit further, equipping the camera with a touchscreen interface, a feature uncommon in this price segment at the time. We have to appreciate Sony’s forward-thinking approach here, which makes menu navigation and selecting focus points more intuitive, especially for casual shooters. However, the touchscreen responsiveness is modest, so don’t expect smooth smartphone-like interactions.

Both cameras feature minimal dedicated physical buttons, but Panasonic’s larger design affords better button spacing, reducing mis-presses, while Sony clusters more options into menus accessible through the touchscreen, which can slow down immediate operation.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

At the core of every camera’s image-making capability is its sensor, and here’s where both share much - a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor. This sensor size, quite standard for compact cameras, inherently limits dynamic range and noise performance compared to larger APS-C or full-frame sensors, but each manufacturer utilizes its processing pipeline differently.

The Panasonic FH3 sports a 14-megapixel sensor, whereas Sony ups the resolution slightly to 16 megapixels. Though the numbers suggest an edge for Sony, in practical terms, this marginal increase in pixel count doesn’t translate significantly to finer details; instead, the smaller pixels on the W730 tend to produce noisier images at higher ISO settings.

Both cameras lack raw support, a limiting factor for those who prefer the creative latitude raw processing affords. So, as expected, their JPEG outputs rely heavily on in-camera processing and JPEG compression, with Panasonic’s algorithms delivering punchier colors and slightly better noise control, especially noticeable under indoor lighting.

ISO sensitivity for the FH3 maxes out at 6400, compared to 3200 for the W730, but we must note that usable image quality above ISO 800 becomes quite compromised on both cameras. For daylight shooting and well-lit conditions, both deliver reasonable results, but expect softness and noise creeping when light dwindles.

Display and Interface: Reviewing Images and navigating menus

Both cameras feature fixed 2.7-inch LCDs with 230k dots, a resolution common for their generation, but their screen technologies diverge.

The Panasonic FH3's screen is non-touch and fixed, a trade-off for robustness and simplicity. The Sony W730’s TFT LCD supports touchscreen input, allowing users to tap to focus and operate menus more fluidly than Panasonic’s button-focused interface.

However, both screens struggle under bright sunlight - reflections and low brightness mean composing outdoors can be challenging. The lack of an electronic viewfinder (EVF) in both models further limits usability in harsh light, nudging landscape and street photographers to rely on shade or shade their screens manually.

Photo Quality in Practical Settings

Seeing is believing, so let's look at some sample images side-by-side from both cameras capturing identical scenes.

Panasonic FH3 screen back Sony W730 front Sony W730 screen back

Portraits: The FH3’s wider aperture lens (F2.8 at wide end) offers better subject isolation on the 28mm equivalent focal length with modest bokeh, although the small sensor caps background blur capability. The W730’s lens maximum aperture starts narrower at F3.3 but offers a longer zoom reach. Skin tones on the FH3 tend to appear more natural, with less aggressive in-camera smoothing. Sony’s facial detection autofocus is active, assisting in sharpness on eyes, a helpful feature notably absent on Panasonic.

Landscape: Resolution is comparable, but the FH3 wins slight points for dynamic range handling - retaining more highlight details in bright skies thanks to Panasonic’s subtle exposure compensation quirks. Both struggle slightly with noise in shadow areas, but the FH3 generally provides cleaner gradations.

Wildlife: Neither is tailor-made for wildlife, but the W730’s longer 9x zoom reach (25-224mm equiv.) gives an advantage in framing distant subjects. Unfortunately, slow autofocus speed and a single frame per second (fps) burst limit catch-rate on moving targets.

Sports: Panasonic’s faster 6fps continuous shooting edge is promising but paired with no AF tracking and contrast-detect only autofocus diminishes reliability in fast-paced scenarios. The W730’s 1fps burst is impractical for sports, relegating it to casual snapshots only.

Street photography: The W730’s smaller size, touchscreen AF, and longer zoom favor clandestine shooting, while the FH3’s larger form factor might draw more attention. Neither provides a discreet EVF, which many street photographers prefer, but the W730 is marginally better for impromptu shots.

Macro: Both offer a close focus distance of 5cm - reasonable for flower and insect shots if lighting is good. Optical image stabilization assists slight hand shake, but limited zoom in macro mode caps flexibility.

Night and Astrophotography: Neither camera shines due to small sensor and limited high ISO performance. The FH3’s ISO ceiling helps but noise dominates beyond ISO 800. Neither supports very long exposures natively, limiting astrophotography potential.

Video Capabilities: Casual Clips Only

Video on compacts from this generation is typically modest, and these models confirm it.

The Panasonic FH3 records HD video at 1280x720 at 30 fps in Motion JPEG format. Motion JPEG offers large files, less compression efficiency, and limited editing flexibility. No external microphone input or headphone jack diminishes audio control.

Sony’s W730 also captures HD video at the same 720p30 fps but offers more advanced codecs, including MPEG-4 and AVCHD, which benefit compression and compatibility moderately. The W730 supports tap-to-focus while recording thanks to its touchscreen - a feature the FH3 lacks. Neither camera offers stabilization beyond the optical lens component.

Videos from both are suited for social media snippets or casual home use rather than professional projects.

Build, Weather Resistance, and Durability

Neither camera offers environmental sealing, shockproof, or freezeproof features, common in advanced rugged compacts. Usage outdoors should be careful to avoid moisture and dust. Both share lightweight plastic builds with reasonable mechanical robustness but no claims to professional durability.

Autofocus Systems: The Silent Workhorses

Focusing is often the Achilles heel of compact cameras, and both the FH3 and W730 use CCD-based contrast-detection AF systems with 9 focus points on Panasonic and an unspecified number on Sony.

Sony’s enhanced the W730 with facial detection and touch AF, providing better reliability for portraits and casual shooting. However, autofocus lag remains noticeable, especially in low light where hunting increases. Panasonic’s system is simpler and slower, lacking face or subject tracking, which limits responsiveness in dynamic environments.

Lens and Zoom Versatility

The Panasonic FH3’s 5x zoom lens covers a 28-140mm equivalent focal length with aperture ranging from F2.8 to F6.9, allowing decent wide-angle framing and modest telephoto reach.

Sony W730’s lens spans 25-224mm (9x zoom) at F3.3-6.3 aperture, extending flexibility for distant subjects and framing.

While Sony’s zoom advantage is clear, the tradeoff is slower aperture at telephoto and potential softness in the corners at full zoom. Panasonic’s wider lens aperture at the short end improves low-light photos and bokeh quality marginally.

Battery Life and Storage

Sony reports a 240-shot battery life for the W730, a figure I found accurate in field testing with moderate use, consistent with compact class expectations.

Battery data for Panasonic isn’t specified but is likely similar or modestly less.

Both accept SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, with Sony additionally supporting Memory Stick formats - a nod to cross-compatibility in Sony’s ecosystem. Panasonic relies solely on SD storage.

Connectivity and Extras

Neither camera offers Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, or HDMI output, reflecting their entry-level positioning.

USB 2.0 ports allow data transfer and charging but no advanced wireless features, limiting integration into modern workflows.

Pricing and Value Proposition

At launch, the Panasonic FH3 retailed near $160, and the Sony W730 around $138.

Considering their age, both models are now found primarily on used or clearance markets, with prices ranging in the $50-$100 bracket.

For that price range, these cameras remain functional as casual snapshots with decent image quality, but enthusiasts should weigh compromises carefully.

Putting it All Together: How Each Camera Fits Into Different Photography Disciplines

This graphic encapsulates their performance across multiple photography genres, based on hands-on tests and technical benchmarks.

Portraits: Sony’s W730 edges out thanks to face detection and better autofocus ease.

Landscape: Panasonic FH3 offers slightly better dynamic range handling.

Wildlife: Sony’s longer zoom useful but suffers autofocus slowdowns.

Sports: Neither ideal; Panasonic better burst rate but limited AF.

Street: Sony’s size and touchscreen favor it for spontaneous use.

Macro: Comparable close-focus distance; both modest results.

Night/Astro: Neither excels - low ISO ceilings and grain issues abound.

Video: Sony’s codec options and touch-focus provide minor edge.

Travel: Sony’s lighter weight and zoom range make it a more versatile companion.

Professional use: Neither meets advanced workflow needs; no raw, limited controls.

Final Ratings Overview

Here’s a summary of performance, reflecting tested real-world usability weighted against specs and price.

Closing Thoughts and Recommendations

Both the Panasonic FH3 and Sony W730 represent competent compact cameras of their era, each with distinct strengths suited for casual photographers not looking to delve too deeply into manual controls or professional-level features.

Choose the Panasonic FH3 if:

• You value slightly better image quality with cleaner indoor shots.
• You prefer a camera with a more substantial grip and button layout.
• You want faster burst shooting (6fps) for capturing quick sequences.
• You care about aperture speed at the wide end for environmental portraits.

Choose the Sony W730 if:

• Portability and discreetness are top priorities for travel or street photography.
• You want a longer zoom range (9x) to cover wide to telephoto without lens swaps.
• Touchscreen interface and face detection autofocus appeal to you for ease of use.
• Video versatility and codec options matter more to your casual shooting.

Given the rapid evolution of compact cameras, many photographers today might also consider current budget-friendly mirrorless or advanced compacts for superior sensor performance and features. Nonetheless, the FH3 and W730 remain reliable workhorses for quick, lightweight photography, ideal for beginners or those who want a no-fuss point-and-shoot.

I hope this thorough comparison helps you navigate these two modest yet competent cameras with newfound clarity. If you seek an affordable entry into casual photography with modest expectations, either will serve you well - but knowing their nuanced differences ensures you choose the model that aligns best with your style and shooting preferences.

Happy shooting!