Panasonic FH6 vs Sony RX100: A Hands-On Comparison for Enthusiasts and Pros

In the crowded world of compact cameras, two models from 2012 stand out as emblematic representatives of their respective classes: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH6, a small sensor compact built for simple casual shooting, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100, which aims squarely at enthusiasts seeking large sensor quality in a pocket-size body. Having extensively tested both cameras over the years and revisited them with fresh eyes, I want to share a comprehensive, practical comparison to help you decide which fits your needs - whether you're a casual snapshot taker or a serious photographer looking for that perfect travel companion.

Let’s dive into their core differences and real-world abilities, covering everything from image quality to ergonomics, and see what’s worth your attention.

First Impressions: Size, Design, and Handling

At just 96 x 56 x 20 mm and weighing 119g, the Panasonic FH6 immediately impresses with its ultra-compact, pocketable form factor. Meanwhile, the Sony RX100 measures 102 x 58 x 36 mm and weighs about twice as much at 240g. While the FH6 is featherlight, this comes with tradeoffs in grip comfort and control precision. You can see the size difference clearly in the image below.

Holding the FH6 feels minimalistic - truly a no-fuss point-and-shoot with few buttons, a fixed lens, and a small 2.7-inch screen. The Sony RX100, however, is noticeably chunkier, reflecting its advanced internals and larger sensor. This extra heft grants a more secure grip and more tactile controls.

If ergonomics are central to your shooting style (you often shoot handheld for long sessions, or with one hand), you’ll appreciate the RX100’s more robust frame and better button layout. The FH6 is great for pocket convenience or children’s first camera but less so for serious users needing quick, confident operation.

The control layout from the top view emphasizes this difference. Check out how Sony’s RX100 integrates dials and buttons for rich manual control while Panasonic keeps things sparse:

Sony's approach to user interface feels far more mature - dedicated dials for shutter speed, exposure compensation, and a better-placed zoom lever mean you can adjust settings on the fly instead of hunting menus. The FH6’s minimalism restricts such flexibility.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

You can’t discuss these cameras without focusing on the sensor. This is where the RX100 truly outshines the FH6.

The Panasonic FH6 uses a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor measuring 6.08 x 4.56 mm (about 27.72 mm²), delivering images at 14 megapixels. The Sony RX100 packs a much larger 1-inch CMOS sensor measuring 13.2 x 8.8 mm (116.16 mm²) and boasts 20 megapixels.

The impact of this sensor size difference is profound. Larger sensors gather more light, offer better dynamic range, and lower noise at high ISO settings, all critical for high-quality images.

In my hands-on testing, the RX100 consistently produced sharper details with richer colors and less noise, especially noticeable in low-light or shadow areas. The FH6’s smaller sensor, combined with its CCD technology, results in images with lesser dynamic range and a tendency towards grain or blotchiness at ISO settings above 400. The RX100’s sensor also provides more flexibility when pushing exposure in tricky scenarios.

This difference is highlighted by DxOMark scores (where applicable). While the FH6 lacks official scores, the RX100 earned a respectable overall rating of 66, and impressive color depth (22.6 bits) and dynamic range (12.4 EV), underscoring its technical superiority.

So if image quality is a prime concern - especially for prints or serious editing - Sony’s RX100 emerges as the clear winner here.

Viewing and Control Usability: Screen and Autofocus

Both cameras offer fixed LCD screens; the FH6 has a modest 2.7-inch, 230k-dot TFT LCD, whereas the RX100 sports a larger 3-inch, 1229k-dot WhiteMagic TFT LCD, offering a brighter and sharper live view experience.

In practical terms, the RX100’s screen clarity helps nail precise focus and framing under various lighting conditions. The FH6’s screen can feel dim and coarse, making fine adjustments difficult, especially in bright sunlight.

Autofocus is another key arena. The FH6 relies on simple contrast-detection autofocus with 9 focus points and face detection. It sadly lacks continuous autofocus, subject tracking, or advanced scene recognition.

The RX100, by contrast, features 25 contrast-detection points, includes face detection plus tracking autofocus modes, and supports continuous autofocus for moving subjects. Its speed and accuracy notably exceed the FH6, making it more reliable in varied shooting environments.

For anyone shooting portraits or fast-action subjects, the RX100’s AF system doesn’t just give more options - it fundamentally improves your success rate.

Lens and Zoom: Flexibility vs Brightness

The Panasonic FH6 has a fixed 24-120mm equivalent zoom (5x optical) with variable max aperture from f/2.5 at wide to f/6.4 at telephoto. Meanwhile, the Sony RX100 features a smaller zoom range 28-100mm equivalent (3.6x optical) but impressively faster aperture of f/1.8 to f/4.9.

This difference shapes the practical usage strongly. The RX100’s brighter lens performs better in low light or when selective depth of field is desired - crucial for portraits with creamy bokeh or shadow details. Its wider maximum aperture lets you shoot handheld in dim indoor environments without constantly ramping ISO.

The FH6 covers longer reach but at a narrower aperture - meaning it relies more on good lighting or boosting ISO, which reduces quality.

I have to admit, the RX100’s lens strikes a much better balance between reach and speed. The Panasonic can zoom farther, but the image softness and noise at the long end somewhat limit its value.

Versatility Across Photography Genres

Let’s examine how these cameras perform across various photography disciplines - a question I get a lot as an experienced tester.

Portraits - Skin Tones and Bokeh

The Sony RX100’s large sensor combined with f/1.8 lens allows beautiful subject isolation and natural skin tones, especially with manual exposure adjustments. Its face detection autofocus is responsive and accurate, ensuring eyes remain crisply in focus.

The FH6 struggles here: its small sensor delivers less background blur and harsher skin rendition in tricky lighting. Affordable for casual family snaps, but not ideal for creative portraiture.

Landscape - Dynamic Range and Resolution

The RX100 again shines with superior dynamic range and 20MP resolution, capturing more shadow and highlight detail. The FH6’s 14MP CCD sensor and narrower dynamic range make landscape shots more prone to blown highlights or crushed shadows.

However, the FH6’s longer zoom lens could capture distant details not reachable by RX100 - but image quality suffers due to sensor limits.

Wildlife and Sports - Autofocus and Burst Rates

For fast, unpredictable action, the FH6’s sluggish 2 fps continuous shooting and basic AF system are a disadvantage. RX100 supports 10 fps burst shooting and continuous AF, yielding better keeper rates on wildlife or sports subjects.

That said, neither offers the telephoto reach or autofocus sophistication of dedicated super-zoom or DSLR systems, but RX100 clearly outpaces FH6 here.

Street Photography - Discreteness and Portability

Here, the Panasonic’s compact size gives it an edge for discreet shooting and slip-it-in-your-pocket portability. Its quiet operation is also a plus. The RX100 is still quite pocketable but noticeably bulkier, potentially less stealthy in candid scenarios.

Macro Photography - Close Focus and Stabilization

Both cameras focus down to about 5cm, with optical image stabilization present on both to help with handheld close-ups. Still, the better sensor noise control of the RX100 enables cleaner macro images with more detail retention. The FH6’s fixed lens and limited controls hamper creative macro work.

Night and Astro - High ISO and Exposure Modes

The RX100’s CMOS sensor and higher max ISO (25600) significantly outperform the FH6’s CCD sensor max ISO of 6400, enabling cleaner night and astro shots. Plus, the RX100 offers shutter priority, aperture priority, and manual exposure modes, essential for astrophotography and long exposures.

The FH6’s shutter speed tops at 1/1600s but lacks manual exposure controls - limiting night photography capability.

Video - Recording Specs and Stabilization

Both cameras have optical image stabilization and built-in flash. The RX100 supports Full HD 1080p video at 60fps, ideal for smooth, high-quality video clips. It also supports AVCHD and MPEG-4 formats, offering greater flexibility in editing.

The FH6 maxes out at 720p at 30 fps, recorded as Motion JPEG - less efficient and lower quality. Neither has external microphone or headphone jacks, which limits serious video work.

Travel Photography - Versatility and Battery Life

Both cameras accept SD cards and offer USB 2.0 connectivity. The FH6 weighs less and is more pocket-friendly, but the RX100’s superior image quality and control versatility make it a better all-around travel companion.

Regarding battery, the FH6 rates about 280 shots per charge versus 330 for the RX100. Not huge gaps but the RX100’s usability wins here again.

Professional Use - Reliability and Workflow

Neither camera offers professional weather sealing or rugged build. However, the RX100 supports RAW capture, crucial for post-processing flexibility, while the FH6 does not.

File format options, exposure controls, and higher image quality make the RX100 better suited for professional or serious work where quality and file versatility matter.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Neither camera claims environmental sealing or rugged features. Both should be handled with care in adverse weather. The RX100's stronger metal body grants a more durable feel than the FH6’s plastic shell, which can feel fragile.

Connectivity and Storage

The Panasonic FH6 has only USB 2.0 for connection and supports SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. No wireless features.

The Sony RX100 includes USB 2.0, HDMI output, NFC wireless pairing, and support for Eye-Fi cards - useful for convenient photo transfer. This is a valuable omission in the FH6.

Price and Value Analysis

When both launched, the FH6 retailed around $129 and RX100 at roughly $450. Given their specs, this clear price gap aligns with the RX100’s advanced features.

Today, you’ll find them both as used or refurbished models. The FH6 suits buyers on a tight budget seeking a straightforward snap-and-go camera. The RX100 remains an excellent entry point into enthusiast compact photography - offering years of value and better image quality.

Visual Showcase: Sample Images Comparison

To illustrate these points, take a close look at the sample images shot with both cameras under various lighting and subject conditions. Notice how the RX100 maintains detail, dynamic range, and color fidelity much better than the FH6, even in shadowy environments.

Panasonic FH6 front Panasonic FH6 screen back Sony RX100 front Sony RX100 screen back

Performance Ratings Recap

Reviewing the overall performance highlights given by independent testing labs and my own evaluations:

Clearly, the RX100 ranks well above the FH6 in sensor quality, AF, speed, and versatility.

How They Measure Across Photography Genres

Here’s an at-a-glance genre-specific rating summary reflecting real-world usability and results I’ve witnessed:

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Who Should Consider the Panasonic Lumix FH6?

• Budget-conscious buyers who want a simple, compact camera
• Casual family snapshots in bright light
• Users prioritizing ultra-lightweight and extreme pocket portability
• Those who prefer an easy-to-use, no-fuss camera without complex settings

Who Will Benefit From the Sony RX100?

• Enthusiasts seeking image quality near mirrorless levels in a compact body
• Photographers who want manual controls, RAW shooting, and fast autofocus
• Travelers who need versatile zoom and excellent low-light performance
• Casual videographers wanting Full HD 60fps video in a small package
• Anyone prioritizing long-term usability and expandable creative options

Closing Remarks

From my perspective, the Panasonic FH6 represents a typical early 2010s small sensor point-and-shoot: simple, affordable, and decent for daylight shooting. However, it quickly shows limitations in image quality, control, and versatility.

The Sony RX100 was a game-changer in compact cameras. Its large sensor, bright lens, and well-thought-out ergonomics set a gold standard that remains relevant today, especially for enthusiasts or pro users needing a second or travel camera.

If you prioritize ultimate image quality, control, and future-proofing your camera kit, I recommend the RX100. If you want an inexpensive, pocket-friendly camera without the bells and whistles and mainly shoot well-lit scenes, the FH6 can still serve you well.

Feel free to weigh these insights against your shooting habits and budget. Whichever you choose, understanding these nuances will ensure your next camera complements your photography journey seamlessly.

• • Thanks for reading. If you want in-depth video tests and long-term user experiences with these cameras, check out my full reviews linked above.*