Panasonic FS42 vs Sony A33

On this page, we are evaluating the Panasonic FS42 vs Sony A33, former being a Ultracompact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and A33 (14MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and A33 (APS-C) have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The FS42 was launched 16 months earlier than the A33 making them a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A33 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the FS42 grades vs the A33 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 & Sony SLT-A33. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic FS42 Gallery & Sony A33 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera regularly, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FS42 enjoys physical measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) and the Sony A33 has measurements of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FS42 vs Sony A33 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the FS42 versus the A33.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the FS42 and A33 is 95 and 67 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to envision the gap in sensor sizing merely by going through specifications. The graphic here will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the FS42 and A33.

To sum up, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The FS42 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF harder and the Sony A33 will produce more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The older FS42 will be behind in sensor tech.