Panasonic FH6 vs Sony HX5

Its time to look a little more closely at the Panasonic FH6 vs Sony HX5, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a big difference between the resolutions of the FH6 (14MP) and HX5 (10MP) and the FH6 (1/2.3") and HX5 (1/2.4") possess different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FH6 was announced 20 months later than the HX5 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go through a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief overview of how the FH6 scores against the HX5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH6 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FH6 Gallery and Sony HX5 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and size. The Panasonic FH6 offers exterior measurements of 96mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 119 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Sony HX5 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FH6 vs Sony HX5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use during that time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the FH6 vs the HX5.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the FH6 and HX5 is 96 and 92 respectively.

Generally, it is very tough to picture the contrast between sensor sizing simply by reading through a spec sheet. The visual underneath should give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the FH6 and HX5.

As you can see, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The FH6 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FH6 will give you more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos much more aggressively. The younger FH6 provides an edge in sensor tech.