Panasonic FS12 vs Sony HX400V

In this article, we are contrasting the Panasonic FS12 and Sony HX400V, former being a Ultracompact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the FS12 (12MP) and HX400V (20MP) but they use the same exact sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The FS12 was announced 5 years earlier than the HX400V and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony HX400V being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go in to a complete comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the FS12 scores against the HX400V for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FS12 Gallery & Sony HX400V Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FS12 has outer dimensions of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Sony HX400V has dimensions of 130mm x 93mm x 103mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.1") along with a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FS12 and Sony HX400V in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at the time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the FS12 vs the HX400V.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FS12 and HX400V is 95 and 62 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to envision the contrast in sensor measurements only by viewing a spec sheet. The photograph below will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the FS12 and HX400V.

Clearly, both of these cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but not the same megapixels. You can anticipate the Sony HX400V to provide you with extra detail with its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a little more aggressively. The older FS12 will be behind in sensor tech.