Panasonic FH5 vs Sony A230

Lets take a closer look at the Panasonic FH5 versus Sony A230, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the FH5 (16MP) and A230 (10MP) and the FH5 (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) possess different sensor dimensions.

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The FH5 was unveiled 20 months later than the A230 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a simple view of how the FH5 scores against the A230 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The full galleries are available at Panasonic FH5 Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and volume. The Panasonic FH5 provides exterior dimensions of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") having a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs) and the Sony A230 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FH5 versus Sony A230 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the FH5 against the A230.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the FH5 and A230 is 96 and 69 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's hard to visualize the difference between sensor sizing just by checking specs. The graphic here should give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the FH5 and A230.

All in all, both of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FH5 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic FH5 will give you more detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The newer FH5 provides an advantage with regard to sensor technology.