Panasonic FS15 vs Sony A390

Its time to take a deeper look at the Panasonic FS15 vs Sony A390, former is a Ultracompact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the FS15 (12MP) and the A390 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the FS15 (1/2.3") and A390 (APS-C) feature different sensor dimensions.

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The FS15 was brought out 18 months earlier than the A390 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FS15 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the FS15 matches up versus the A390 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic FS15 Gallery & Sony A390 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera, you need to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic FS15 has outer measurements of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) whilst the Sony A390 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Panasonic FS15 vs Sony A390 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the FS15 and the A390.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the FS15 and A390 is 95 and 66 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to imagine the gap in sensor sizes purely by checking out a spec sheet. The image here will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the FS15 and A390.

As you can see, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The FS15 because of its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony A390 will provide more detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos much more aggressively. The more aged FS15 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.