Panasonic FS42 vs Sony RX100

Below is a thorough review of the Panasonic FS42 vs Sony RX100, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and RX100 (20MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and RX100 (1") use totally different sensor sizing.

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The FS42 was unveiled 4 years before the RX100 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony RX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the FS42 grades vs the RX100 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. The full galleries are available at Panasonic FS42 Gallery and Sony RX100 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FS42 enjoys exterior measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) while the Sony RX100 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic FS42 vs Sony RX100 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the FS42 compared to the RX100.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the FS42 and RX100 is 95 and 91 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to see the contrast in sensor measurements purely by looking through technical specs. The photograph underneath should provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the FS42 and RX100.

As you have seen, each of these cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FS42 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony RX100 will provide you with greater detail having an extra 10MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older FS42 will be behind in sensor technology.