Panasonic FS42 vs Sony HX300

In this write-up, we will be reviewing the Panasonic FS42 vs Sony HX300, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and HX300 (20MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and HX300 (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizing.

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The FS42 was released 4 years before the HX300 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief overview of how the FS42 scores versus the HX300 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic FS42 Gallery & Sony HX300 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FS42 has got physical measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) whilst the Sony HX300 has proportions of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") and a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

See the Panasonic FS42 vs Sony HX300 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the FS42 versus the HX300.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FS42 and HX300 is 95 and 63 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to picture the contrast between sensor measurements only by going over a spec sheet. The visual below will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the FS42 and HX300.

As you can see, both cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FS42 because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Sony HX300 will offer you more detail as a result of its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots far more aggressively. The older FS42 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.