Panasonic FS42 vs Sony W690

Following is a complete comparison of the Panasonic FS42 versus Sony W690, former is a Ultracompact while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and W690 (16MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and W690 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The FS42 was released 3 years before the W690 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony W690 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the FS42 scores vs the W690 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W690. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic FS42 Gallery & Sony W690 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic FS42 provides outside measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) and the Sony W690 has specifications of 94mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FS42 versus Sony W690 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the FS42 vs the W690.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the FS42 and W690 is 95 and 95 respectively.

Generally, its hard to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes purely by viewing a spec sheet. The image below will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the FS42 and W690.

As you can see, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The FS42 because of its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony W690 will render extra detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more aged FS42 will be behind in sensor technology.