Panasonic FS15 vs Sony A6500

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic FS15 versus Sony A6500, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the FS15 (12MP) and A6500 (24MP) and the FS15 (1/2.3") and A6500 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The FS15 was unveiled 8 years prior to the A6500 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FS15 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A6500 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short view of how the FS15 matches up versus the A6500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 and Sony Alpha a6500. The full galleries are available at Panasonic FS15 Gallery and Sony A6500 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic FS15 features outside measurements of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") with a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) and the Sony A6500 has sizing of 120mm x 67mm x 53mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 453 grams (1.00 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FS15 versus Sony A6500 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you choose at that time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the FS15 against the A6500.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FS15 and A6500 is 95 and 81 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing simply by looking through specs. The visual underneath should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the FS15 and A6500.

All in all, both of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The FS15 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Sony A6500 will render more detail having an extra 12MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots way more aggressively. The older FS15 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.