Panasonic FS42 vs Sony HX80

On this page, we will be contrasting the Panasonic FS42 versus Sony HX80, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and HX80 (18MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and HX80 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor measurements.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The FS42 was brought out 7 years earlier than the HX80 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony HX80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go right into a full comparison, here is a short summary of how the FS42 matches up versus the HX80 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic FS42 Gallery and Sony HX80 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera, you should factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FS42 has 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) whilst the Sony HX80 has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") having a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

See the Panasonic FS42 versus Sony HX80 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use during that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the FS42 and the HX80.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the FS42 and HX80 is 95 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, its tough to visualise the difference in sensor measurements simply by seeing a spec sheet. The visual below will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the FS42 and HX80.

Clearly, both of those cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FS42 because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony HX80 will provide more detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older FS42 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.