Panasonic FP5 vs Panasonic ZS100

On this page, we are looking at the Panasonic FP5 vs Panasonic ZS100, former being a Ultracompact while the other is a Large Sensor Compact and both of them are produced by Panasonic. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the FP5 (14MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the FP5 (1/2.3") and ZS100 (1") offer different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The FP5 was manufactured 6 years prior to the ZS100 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FP5 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summation of how the FP5 scores vs the ZS100 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic FP5 Gallery & Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FP5 enjoys external dimensions of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") and a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS100 has proportions of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FP5 vs Panasonic ZS100 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the FP5 compared to the ZS100.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FP5 and ZS100 is 95 and 87 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to visualize the gap between sensor measurements merely by checking a spec sheet. The photograph here should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the FP5 and ZS100.

Clearly, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FP5 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Panasonic ZS100 will resolve more detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older FP5 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.