Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A390

The following is a extended review of the Panasonic FS12 and Sony A390, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the FS12 (12MP) and the A390 (14MP) is very close but the FS12 (1/2.3") and A390 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizing.

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The FS12 was brought out 15 months prior to the A390 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a in depth comparison, below is a quick summary of how the FS12 scores vs the A390 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic FS12 Gallery and Sony A390 Gallery.

In case you're going to travel with your camera often, you have to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FS12 comes with external measurements of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sony A390 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FS12 and Sony A390 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have during that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the FS12 vs the A390.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the FS12 and A390 is 95 and 66 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to envision the gap in sensor dimensions just by researching a spec sheet. The image below may give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the FS12 and A390.

Clearly, the 2 cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The FS12 because of its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh trickier and the Sony A390 will render more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images a little more aggressively. The more aged FS12 will be behind in sensor innovation.