Panasonic FS42 vs Sony HX20V

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic FS42 and Sony HX20V, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and HX20V (18MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and HX20V (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor size.

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The FS42 was brought out 4 years earlier than the HX20V and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony HX20V being a Compact camera.

Before we go in to a full comparison, below is a concise summary of how the FS42 grades vs the HX20V when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic FS42 Gallery & Sony HX20V Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic FS42 offers outside dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) while the Sony HX20V has specifications of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") along with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FS42 and Sony HX20V in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Below is the front view size comparison of the FS42 and the HX20V.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the FS42 and HX20V is 95 and 90 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizing simply by viewing specs. The photograph below will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the FS42 and HX20V.

All in all, both cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FS42 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony HX20V will provide you with extra detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older FS42 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.