Panasonic FP3 vs Sony HX1

On this page, we will be contrasting the Panasonic FP3 and Sony HX1, one is a Ultracompact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the image resolutions of the FP3 (14MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the FP3 (1/2.3") and HX1 (1/2.4") posses different sensor dimensions.

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The FP3 was brought out 9 months after the HX1 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FP3 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting right into a in-depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the FP3 scores versus the HX1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic FP3 Gallery and Sony HX1 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FP3 provides physical dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") along with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Sony HX1 has measurements of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") along with a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FP3 and Sony HX1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the FP3 versus the HX1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FP3 and HX1 is 95 and 67 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to picture the difference in sensor sizes merely by looking through specs. The picture below will give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FP3 and HX1.

All in all, both cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The FP3 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic FP3 will provide you with greater detail having its extra 5MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The newer FP3 provides an advantage in sensor innovation.