Panasonic FP8 vs Sony A850

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic FP8 and Sony A850, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the sensor resolutions of the FP8 (12MP) and A850 (25MP) and the FP8 (1/2.3") and A850 (Full frame) posses totally different sensor size.

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The FP8 was unveiled 8 months prior to the A850 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FP8 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the FP8 scores vs the A850 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FP8 Gallery and Sony A850 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera frequently, you will have to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic FP8 features outside measurements of 96mm x 60mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 0.8") having a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs) whilst the Sony A850 has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FP8 and Sony A850 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the FP8 vs the A850.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FP8 and A850 is 95 and 54 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to see the contrast in sensor sizing only by seeing technical specs. The photograph here will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the FP8 and A850.

As you can tell, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The FP8 using its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh more challenging and the Sony A850 will produce more detail having an extra 13MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older FP8 will be behind in sensor tech.