Panasonic FH8 vs Sony A500

Let's look a little more closely at the Panasonic FH8 and Sony A500, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the FH8 (16MP) and A500 (12MP) and the FH8 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) feature different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FH8 was brought out 2 years later than the A500 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FH8 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a short view of how the FH8 scores vs the A500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH8 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic FH8 Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FH8 has got outer measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 123 grams (0.27 lbs) while the Sony A500 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FH8 and Sony A500 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have attached at the time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the FH8 compared to the A500.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FH8 and A500 is 96 and 63 respectively.

Normally, its hard to visualize the gap between sensor measurements just by looking at specifications. The photograph here may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the FH8 and A500.

Plainly, both cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FH8 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh trickier and the Panasonic FH8 will give greater detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The younger FH8 provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.