Panasonic FS42 vs Sony A58

Its time to look a little more closely at the Panasonic FS42 versus Sony A58, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There is a big difference between the image resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and A58 (20MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and A58 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor size.

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The FS42 was released 5 years prior to the A58 and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A58 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the FS42 scores against the A58 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 and Sony SLT-A58. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic FS42 Gallery and Sony A58 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera, you'll need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FS42 features external measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) whilst the Sony A58 has proportions of 129mm x 95mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 3.1") and a weight of 492 grams (1.08 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FS42 versus Sony A58 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the FS42 against the A58.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the FS42 and A58 is 95 and 68 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to picture the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reading through specifications. The graphic underneath might offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the FS42 and A58.

To sum up, the two cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FS42 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A58 will give more detail as a result of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos far more aggressively. The older FS42 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.