Panasonic FS15 vs Sony A560

Below is a extensive review of the Panasonic FS15 versus Sony A560, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the FS15 (12MP) and the A560 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the FS15 (1/2.3") and A560 (APS-C) feature different sensor dimensions.

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The FS15 was revealed 19 months before the A560 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FS15 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A560 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a in depth comparison, below is a concise overview of how the FS15 scores against the A560 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A560. The full galleries are available at Panasonic FS15 Gallery & Sony A560 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FS15 enjoys external dimensions of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") having a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) and the Sony A560 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

See the Panasonic FS15 versus Sony A560 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is the front view size comparison of the FS15 and the A560.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the FS15 and A560 is 95 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements only by going through technical specs. The graphic below may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the FS15 and A560.

As you have seen, both cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FS15 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A560 will produce extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older FS15 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.