Panasonic FS42 vs Sony NEX-5N

Its time to look a little more closely at the Panasonic FS42 vs Sony NEX-5N, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and NEX-5N (APS-C) have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The FS42 was launched 3 years earlier than the NEX-5N which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a in depth comparison, here is a quick overview of how the FS42 grades against the NEX-5N with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 and Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic FS42 Gallery and Sony NEX-5N Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FS42 features physical measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5N has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FS42 vs Sony NEX-5N in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the FS42 vs the NEX-5N.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FS42 and NEX-5N is 95 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to envision the difference between sensor dimensions purely by checking technical specs. The picture below will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the FS42 and NEX-5N.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The FS42 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony NEX-5N will resolve more detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The more aged FS42 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.