Panasonic FS25 vs Sony A500

Here is a detailed assessment of the Panasonic FS25 and Sony A500, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sony. The resolution of the FS25 (12MP) and the A500 (12MP) is pretty close but the FS25 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizes.

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The FS25 was announced 7 months prior to the A500 so they are both of a similar generation. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FS25 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the FS25 matches up against the A500 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic FS25 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera regularly, you are going to need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FS25 provides external dimensions of 97mm x 58mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") with a weight of 148 grams (0.33 lbs) and the Sony A500 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FS25 and Sony A500 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the FS25 vs the A500.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FS25 and A500 is 95 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to picture the difference in sensor sizing merely by researching specs. The visual underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the FS25 and A500.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras feature the identical megapixel count albeit different sensor sizing. The FS25 offers the smaller sensor which will make obtaining shallow DOF more difficult. The older FS25 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.