Panasonic FH5 vs Samsung SL30

Its time to look a little more closely at the Panasonic FH5 vs Samsung SL30, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by competitors Panasonic and Samsung. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the FH5 (16MP) and SL30 (10MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The FH5 was announced 23 months after the SL30 making them a generation away from one another. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before delving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the FH5 grades against the SL30 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5 and Samsung SL30. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic FH5 Gallery and Samsung SL30 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FH5 comes with outside 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 SL30 has measurements of 94mm x 61mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") with a weight of 140 grams (0.31 lbs).

See the Panasonic FH5 vs Samsung SL30 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the FH5 and the SL30.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FH5 and SL30 is 96 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to see the gap between sensor sizes only by reading technical specs. The picture here will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the FH5 and SL30.

As you can tell, both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same megapixels. You should expect to see the Panasonic FH5 to offer you more detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The fresher FH5 will have an edge in sensor tech.