Panasonic FS42 vs Sony W800

Below is a thorough review of the Panasonic FS42 versus Sony W800, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and W800 (20MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and W800 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizing.

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The FS42 was revealed 5 years prior to the W800 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony W800 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a complete comparison, below is a short summation of how the FS42 grades versus the W800 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W800. The full galleries are available at Panasonic FS42 Gallery and Sony W800 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FS42 has outer 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 W800 has measurements of 97mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

See the Panasonic FS42 versus Sony W800 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the FS42 vs the W800.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FS42 and W800 is 95 and 96 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to see the difference in sensor measurements purely by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph underneath may give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the FS42 and W800.

As you can see, both cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FS42 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony W800 will produce more detail because of its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older FS42 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.