Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony HX1

Its time to look much closer at the Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony HX1, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the FZ80 (18MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the FZ80 (1/2.3") and HX1 (1/2.4") enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FZ80 was manufactured 7 years later than the HX1 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (SLR-like (bridge)).

Before delving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the FZ80 matches up against the HX1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic FZ80 Gallery & Sony HX1 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera often, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FZ80 features physical measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") with a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) and the Sony HX1 has dimensions of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") having a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony HX1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at the time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the FZ80 versus the HX1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FZ80 and HX1 is 63 and 67 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to visualise the gap between sensor measurements merely by reading through specifications. The graphic below will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the FZ80 and HX1.

To sum up, both cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FZ80 featuring a larger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FZ80 will give you greater detail due to its extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The fresher FZ80 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.