Panasonic FP3 vs Sony TX5

Its time to look a little more closely at the Panasonic FP3 and Sony TX5, both Ultracompact digital cameras by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the FP3 (14MP) and TX5 (10MP) and the FP3 (1/2.3") and TX5 (1/2.4") come with different sensor size.

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The FP3 was revealed around the same time to the TX5 and they are both of a similar generation. Each of these cameras offer the identical body type (Ultracompact).

Before we go straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the FP3 grades vs the TX5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5. The full galleries are available at Panasonic FP3 Gallery and Sony TX5 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FP3 offers outside dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") having a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) whilst the Sony TX5 has measurements of 94mm x 57mm x 18mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 148 grams (0.33 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FP3 and Sony TX5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the FP3 compared to the TX5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FP3 and TX5 is 95 and 96 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to visualize the gap between sensor measurements only by going over technical specs. The graphic below may give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the FP3 and TX5.

As you can tell, both of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FP3 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FP3 will deliver greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images a little more aggressively.