Panasonic FH5 vs Samsung CL5

Its time to look more closely at the Panasonic FH5 and Samsung CL5, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Panasonic and Samsung. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the FH5 (16MP) and CL5 (9MP) and the FH5 (1/2.3") and CL5 (1/2.5") boast different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FH5 was unveiled 23 months after the CL5 making them a generation away from one another. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera and the Samsung CL5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before we go right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summary of how the FH5 matches up versus the CL5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5 and Samsung CL5. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FH5 Gallery and Samsung CL5 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic FH5 has got exterior measurements of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") having a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs) while the Samsung CL5 has sizing of 93mm x 60mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.7") with a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic FH5 and Samsung CL5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using during that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the FH5 versus the CL5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FH5 and CL5 is 96 and 95 respectively.

Normally, its tough to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions only by checking specs. The image here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the FH5 and CL5.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FH5 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FH5 will give extra detail having an extra 7MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos way more aggressively. The newer FH5 provides an edge in sensor innovation.