Panasonic FS42 vs Sony WX5

Lets look a little more in depth at the Panasonic FS42 versus Sony WX5, former is a Ultracompact while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the FS42 (10MP) and the WX5 (12MP) is very close but the FS42 (1/2.5") and WX5 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FS42 was introduced 14 months prior to the WX5 making them a generation away from one another. Both cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony WX5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a short highlight of how the FS42 scores vs the WX5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX5. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic FS42 Gallery & Sony WX5 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FS42 enjoys outside measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) while the Sony WX5 has measurements of 92mm x 52mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 146 grams (0.32 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FS42 versus Sony WX5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use at that moment. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the FS42 versus the WX5.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FS42 and WX5 is 95 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes only by looking through technical specs. The pic below will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the FS42 and WX5.

As you have seen, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The FS42 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony WX5 will render more detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images more aggressively. The more aged FS42 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.