Panasonic FH6 vs Sony A57

Following is a complete review of the Panasonic FH6 and Sony A57, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the FH6 (14MP) and the A57 (16MP) is pretty comparable but the FH6 (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) have different sensor size.

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The FH6 was introduced 8 months prior to the A57 which means that they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH6 being a Compact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise view of how the FH6 matches up versus the A57 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH6 & Sony SLT-A57. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic FH6 Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you have to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic FH6 provides exterior measurements of 96mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 119 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Sony A57 has sizing of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") along with a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

See the Panasonic FH6 and Sony A57 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is a front view size comparison of the FH6 versus the A57.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FH6 and A57 is 96 and 64 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes merely by seeing specs. The pic below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the FH6 and A57.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The FH6 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A57 will provide extra detail using its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged FH6 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.