Panasonic FS42 vs Sony A900

Let's take a more detailed look at the Panasonic FS42 and Sony A900, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a big gap among the image resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and A900 (25MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and A900 (Full frame) posses different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The FS42 was launched 6 months later than the A900 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A900 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving right into a complete comparison, here is a concise summation of how the FS42 matches up against the A900 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic FS42 Gallery and Sony A900 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FS42 offers physical dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) whilst the Sony A900 has dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FS42 and Sony A900 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the FS42 vs the A900.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FS42 and A900 is 95 and 54 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing purely by viewing specs. The visual below will give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FS42 and A900.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The FS42 because of its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Sony A900 will provide you with extra detail utilizing its extra 15MP. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively.