Panasonic FH8 vs Sony A850

In this article, we will be looking at the Panasonic FH8 and Sony A850, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the FH8 (16MP) and A850 (25MP) and the FH8 (1/2.3") and A850 (Full frame) enjoy different sensor size.

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The FH8 was released 22 months later than the A850 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FH8 being a Compact camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going through a detailed comparison, below is a concise overview of how the FH8 matches up versus the A850 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH8 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic FH8 Gallery and Sony A850 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic FH8 offers exterior measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 123 grams (0.27 lbs) and the Sony A850 has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FH8 and Sony A850 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the FH8 against the A850.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the FH8 and A850 is 96 and 54 respectively.

Usually, it is tough to imagine the gap in sensor measurements just by researching technical specs. The graphic underneath will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the FH8 and A850.

As you can tell, both the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FH8 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh trickier and the Sony A850 will provide you with extra detail as a result of its extra 9 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The younger FH8 provides an advantage in sensor innovation.