Panasonic FH3 vs Sony A57

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Panasonic FH3 and Sony A57, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the FH3 (14MP) and the A57 (16MP) is very close but the FH3 (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.

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The FH3 was introduced 3 years prior to the A57 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FH3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a quick view of how the FH3 scores against the A57 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3 and Sony SLT-A57. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FH3 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FH3 comes with physical dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs) while the Sony A57 has dimensions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") having a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FH3 and Sony A57 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the FH3 compared to the A57.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FH3 and A57 is 94 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it is tough to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions simply by viewing specs. The image here might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the FH3 and A57.

All in all, both of those cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The FH3 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Sony A57 will render extra detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics way more aggressively. The more aged FH3 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.