Panasonic FP8 vs Sony A580

Its time to look more closely at the Panasonic FP8 and Sony A580, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the resolutions of the FP8 (12MP) and A580 (16MP) and the FP8 (1/2.3") and A580 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The FP8 was announced 22 months prior to the A580 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FP8 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a short view of how the FP8 matches up against the A580 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic FP8 Gallery & Sony A580 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FP8 has exterior measurements of 96mm x 60mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 0.8") and a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs) and the Sony A580 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FP8 and Sony A580 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using at that moment. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the FP8 and the A580.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FP8 and A580 is 95 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, it's tough to visualize the gap between sensor measurements only by going over technical specs. The graphic below might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the FP8 and A580.

As you can tell, both of those cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FP8 using its tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Sony A580 will offer you extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots way more aggressively. The older FP8 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.