Panasonic FP5 vs Sony A230

Below is a thorough assessment of the Panasonic FP5 vs Sony A230, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the FP5 (14MP) and A230 (10MP) and the FP5 (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The FP5 was released 20 months later than the A230 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FP5 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the FP5 scores versus the A230 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP5 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic FP5 Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic FP5 provides outside dimensions of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") with a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs) and the Sony A230 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FP5 vs Sony A230 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at that moment. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the FP5 vs the A230.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FP5 and A230 is 95 and 69 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to envision the difference between sensor measurements just by reviewing specs. The graphic below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the FP5 and A230.

All in all, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FP5 featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic FP5 will offer more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The fresher FP5 is going to have an advantage in sensor technology.