Panasonic FP7 vs Sony A58

Lets look more closely at the Panasonic FP7 vs Sony A58, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the FP7 (16MP) and the A58 (20MP) is fairly similar but the FP7 (1/2.3") and A58 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The FP7 was brought out 3 years earlier than the A58 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FP7 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A58 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving through a full comparison, below is a concise view of how the FP7 matches up versus the A58 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP7 and Sony SLT-A58. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic FP7 Gallery and Sony A58 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic FP7 has got external measurements of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") having a weight of 147 grams (0.32 lbs) and the Sony A58 has sizing of 129mm x 95mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 3.1") along with a weight of 492 grams (1.08 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FP7 vs Sony A58 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at that time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the FP7 compared to the A58.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FP7 and A58 is 95 and 68 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizes just by reading specs. The picture underneath will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the FP7 and A58.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The FP7 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Sony A58 will offer greater detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images much more aggressively. The more aged FP7 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.