Panasonic FS42 vs Sony A550

Lets look a bit more closely at the Panasonic FS42 vs Sony A550, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and A550 (14MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and A550 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The FS42 was unveiled 7 months before the A550 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise view of how the FS42 scores vs the A550 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The full galleries are available at Panasonic FS42 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and size. The Panasonic FS42 comes with exterior measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) whilst the Sony A550 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FS42 vs Sony A550 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have at the time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the FS42 versus the A550.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the FS42 and A550 is 95 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reading technical specs. The visual below will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the FS42 and A550.

As you have seen, each of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The FS42 using its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Sony A550 will deliver extra detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older FS42 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.