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Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II

Portability
96
Imaging
39
Features
31
Overall
35
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5 front
 
Sony Alpha A9 Mark II front
Portability
62
Imaging
75
Features
93
Overall
82

Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II Key Specs

Panasonic FH5
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-112mm (F3.1-6.5) lens
  • 121g - 94 x 54 x 19mm
  • Introduced January 2011
  • Alternate Name is Lumix DMC-FS18
Sony A9 II
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 51200 (Raise to 204800)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 678g - 129 x 96 x 76mm
  • Introduced October 2019
  • Previous Model is Sony A9
Photography Glossary

Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II Overview

The following is a in depth review of the Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the FH5 (16MP) and A9 II (24MP) and the FH5 (1/2.3") and A9 II (Full frame) posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The FH5 was unveiled 9 years prior to the A9 II which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera and the Sony A9 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the FH5 scores against the A9 II when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Panasonic FH5 over the Sony A9 II

 FH5 A9 II 

Reasons to pick Sony A9 II over the Panasonic FH5

 A9 II FH5 
IntroducedOctober 2019January 2011Newer by 106 months
Manual focus Dial accurate focus
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display dimensions3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution1440k230kClearer display (+1210k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Common features in the Panasonic FH5 and Sony A9 II

 FH5 A9 II 
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen

Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II Physical Comparison

For anybody who is aiming to travel with your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FH5 provides physical dimensions of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") having a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs) whilst the Sony A9 II has measurements of 129mm x 96mm x 76mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.0") along with a weight of 678 grams (1.49 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you choose at the time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the FH5 and the A9 II.

Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FH5 and A9 II is 96 and 62 respectively.

Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II top view buttons comparison

Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is tough to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions simply by checking out technical specs. The pic underneath should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the FH5 and A9 II.

As you have seen, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FH5 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A9 II will provide extra detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop images more aggressively. The more aged FH5 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.

Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II sensor size comparison

Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic FH5 Portrait photography features
Sony A9 II Portrait photography features
34
good MP (16MP)
features face detection focus
no manual focus
manual exposure not available
can't use external flash
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
85
manual focus
good MP (24MP)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports face detect focusing
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Panasonic FH5
Street photography with Sony A9 II
67
has image stabilization (Optical)
provides touch focus
lighter than others in class (121g)
no moving screen
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
78
screen tilts
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
delivers RAW formats
includes focus via touch
environment proofing
good ISO range (51,200)
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Panasonic FH5
Sports photography with Sony A9 II
40
has image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (16 megapixels)
features tracking autofocus
max fps low (4.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
87
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet mode (1/32,000 seconds)
fast shooting (20.0 fps)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports tracking focus
environment proofing
great battery life (690 CIPA)
has phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic FH5 Travel photography advice
Sony A9 II Travel photography advice
71
lighter than others in class (121 grams)
provides touch focus
good MP (16MP)
built-in flash
fairly wide (28mm)
lack of Time Lapse function
display isn't selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.1)
73
great battery life (690 per charge)
environment proofing
supports bluetooth
includes focus via touch
good MP (24MP)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Panasonic FH5
Landscape photography with Sony A9 II
38
fairly wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (16 megapixels)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.1)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
manual exposure not available
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
lack of Time Lapse function
86
manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
screen is a good size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
good ISO range (51,200)
delivers RAW formats
environment proofing
great battery life (690 per charge)
has dual storage slots
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Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic FH5 Vlogging advice
Sony A9 II Vlogging advice
33
fairly wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
features face detection focus
lighter than others in class (121g)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.1)
display isn't selfie friendly
low res video (1280 x 720 pxls)
lack of external mic socket
36
touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detect focusing
good video quality (3840 x 2160 pxls)
has mic jack
display is not selfie friendly
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Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A9 II Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic FH5 and Sony A9 II
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5Sony Alpha A9 Mark II
General Information
Make Panasonic Sony
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5 Sony Alpha A9 Mark II
Also Known as Lumix DMC-FS18 -
Category Small Sensor Compact Pro Mirrorless
Introduced 2011-01-05 2019-10-03
Body design Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Venus Engine IV BIONZ X
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" Full frame
Sensor dimensions 6.08 x 4.56mm 35.6 x 23.8mm
Sensor area 27.7mm² 847.3mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 24MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Highest Possible resolution 4608 x 3456 6000 x 4000
Maximum native ISO 6400 51200
Maximum enhanced ISO - 204800
Lowest native ISO 100 100
RAW photos
Lowest enhanced ISO - 50
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 11 693
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 28-112mm (4.0x) -
Largest aperture f/3.1-6.5 -
Macro focusing distance 5cm -
Available lenses - 121
Focal length multiplier 5.9 1
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Tilting
Display diagonal 2.7 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 230k dot 1,440k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 3,686k dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.78x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/1600s 1/8000s
Fastest quiet shutter speed - 1/32000s
Continuous shutter speed 4.0 frames per second 20.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 3.30 m no built-in flash
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Maximum video resolution 1280x720 3840x2160
Video data format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 121 grams (0.27 lb) 678 grams (1.49 lb)
Physical dimensions 94 x 54 x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") 129 x 96 x 76mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.0")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 260 photographs 690 photographs
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FZ100
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2, 5, 10 secs + continuous, 3 or 5 frames)
Time lapse recording
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible)
Storage slots One Two
Cost at release $169 $4,498