Panasonic FP3 vs Sony RX100 VA

Its time to take a closer look at the Panasonic FP3 and Sony RX100 VA, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There is a large difference among the image resolutions of the FP3 (14MP) and RX100 VA (20MP) and the FP3 (1/2.3") and RX100 VA (1") use totally different sensor size.

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The FP3 was introduced 9 years before the RX100 VA and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FP3 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony RX100 VA being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the FP3 matches up against the RX100 VA with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A). The whole galleries are available at Panasonic FP3 Gallery & Sony RX100 VA Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FP3 comes with external measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") having a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) while the Sony RX100 VA has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") with a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FP3 and Sony RX100 VA in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using during that time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the FP3 versus the RX100 VA.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the FP3 and RX100 VA is 95 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to visualise the gap in sensor measurements only by going through specs. The graphic below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the FP3 and RX100 VA.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FP3 having a smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony RX100 VA will produce more detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots much more aggressively. The older FP3 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.