Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A900

Here is a detailed assessment of the Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A900, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the FS12 (12MP) and A900 (25MP) and the FS12 (1/2.3") and A900 (Full frame) have different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FS12 was introduced 6 months later than the A900 and they are both of a similar age. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A900 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the FS12 grades against the A900 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A900. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic FS12 Gallery & Sony A900 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic FS12 has physical measurements of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sony A900 has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") having a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A900 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the FS12 compared to the A900.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FS12 and A900 is 95 and 54 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to visualize the gap in sensor sizing simply by viewing technical specs. The visual here might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the FS12 and A900.

As you can tell, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FS12 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A900 will render extra detail using its extra 13MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively.