Panasonic FX78 vs Sony A57

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Panasonic FX78 vs Sony A57, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the FX78 (12MP) and A57 (16MP) and the FX78 (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The FX78 was unveiled 19 months before the A57 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FX78 being a Compact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a short summary of how the FX78 matches up vs the A57 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 and Sony SLT-A57. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FX78 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic FX78 comes with exterior measurements of 100mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs) whilst the Sony A57 has sizing of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") along with a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic FX78 vs Sony A57 in the latest 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 moment. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the FX78 against the A57.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the FX78 and A57 is 95 and 64 respectively.

Often, it is tough to picture the difference in sensor measurements simply by seeing technical specs. The graphic here might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the FX78 and A57.

As you can tell, both cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FX78 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A57 will produce extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older FX78 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.