Panasonic FP1 vs Sony RX10 III

Below is a thorough assessment of the Panasonic FP1 versus Sony RX10 III, former being a Ultracompact while the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the FP1 (12MP) and RX10 III (20MP) and the FP1 (1/2.3") and RX10 III (1") provide totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FP1 was brought out 7 years before the RX10 III and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FP1 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony RX10 III being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting right into a detailed comparison, here is a simple summary of how the FP1 grades vs the RX10 III with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic FP1 Gallery & Sony RX10 III Gallery.

If you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic FP1 provides outer measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") along with a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs) while the Sony RX10 III has sizing of 133mm x 94mm x 127mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.0") and a weight of 1051 grams (2.32 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FP1 versus Sony RX10 III in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the FP1 compared to the RX10 III.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FP1 and RX10 III is 95 and 53 respectively.

Typically, it is very difficult to envision the difference between sensor measurements purely by reading a spec sheet. The graphic here should offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the FP1 and RX10 III.

As you can see, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FP1 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony RX10 III will offer you greater detail having its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The older FP1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.