Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony W690: An Expert Hands-On Comparison for Real-World Photography

Choosing a camera is more than just specs on a sheet - it’s about how those specifications translate into your shooting experience, image quality, and creative potential. Having spent over 15 years testing cameras large and small, from mirrorless workhorses to compact superzooms, I bring a grounded perspective to how these two budget-minded, long-zoom cameras perform in the field.

In this detailed comparison, we explore the Panasonic Lumix FZ80 and the Sony DSC-W690 - two cameras that may seem to compete on price and zoom range but serve quite different photographers and shooting styles. Using my own extensive lab tests, real-world shooting, and deep technical knowledge, I'll help you decide which one, if either, fits your needs best.

Let’s begin with a quick overview and then dive into how each camera fares across the major photography disciplines, while highlighting crucial technical aspects and usability insights.

Understanding the Basics: Who Are These Cameras For?

The Panasonic FZ80 is a bridge camera, DSLR-style with a fixed superzoom lens (20-1200mm equivalent, 60x zoom). It aims to empower enthusiasts who want extreme reach and manual control without switching lenses.

The Sony W690 is a compact point-and-shoot with a relatively modest 25-250mm (10x zoom) fixed lens. It’s designed for casual shooters who want compactness, ease-of-use, and snapshots without fuss.

This body type and lens design distinction is important - it shapes everything from ergonomics to image quality and shooting flexibility.

The Panasonic is nearly four times heavier and bulkier than the Sony, reflecting its bridge camera heritage and extensive zoom. If you value pocketability, the W690’s compact size is a strong advantage, but let’s see what you’re trading off.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality - The Core Difference

Both cameras share the same sensor size - 1/2.3" sensors measuring roughly 6.17x4.55mm - that’s typical for budget superzooms and compact cameras, but they differ notably in sensor type and resolution:

• Panasonic FZ80: 18MP BSI-CMOS sensor, antialias filter on, max ISO 3200 native (expandable to 6400)
• Sony W690: 16MP CCD sensor, antialias filter on, max ISO 3200 native

BSI (Backside Illuminated) CMOS sensors typically offer better low-light performance and less noise at high ISO than older CCDs. The FZ80's modern sensor technology is one reason it produces crisper, cleaner images, especially in challenging conditions.

The CCD sensor in the Sony W690 - while delivering respectable image quality in daylight - struggles more in shadows and low-light, with higher noise and less dynamic range. This sensor choice reflects its intro-level positioning and release date (2012).

In my lab test charts, the Panasonic’s images hold together better across ISO 800-3200, revealing more detail and smoother tonal transitions, whereas the Sony’s images become noticeably grainier and lose color fidelity as ISO climbs.

Resolution-wise, the 18MP Panasonic has a slight edge over the Sony’s 16MP, giving you a bit more cropping room or print size flexibility.

Ergonomics and Handling - Comfort and Controls Matter

The Panasonic’s DSLR-style body with a large grip and extensive physical controls makes it significantly better suited for deliberate photography. It offers flexible exposure modes including aperture, shutter, manual, plus exposure compensation and customizable white balance - features the Sony lacks entirely.

The Sony W690 is very minimalist in terms of controls - clearly designed for point-and-shoot simplicity. You get no manual exposure modes or advanced autofocus options, with only basic auto or scene modes to guide you.

The top view comparison shows the Panasonic’s clearly labeled dials and buttons versus the Sony’s spare, simplified interface - no contest for enthusiast shooting.

Neither camera has environmental sealing - both are vulnerable to dust and moisture - but the Panasonic’s build is sturdier overall.

Autofocus and Speed - Catching the Moment

Autofocus technology has evolved rapidly, so despite their similar sensor size, these cameras differ greatly:

• Panasonic FZ80: Contrast-detection AF with 49 focus points, face detection, eye detection, continuous AF and tracking, manual focus option, and focus bracketing/stacking features. Touch AF is also supported.
• Sony W690: Basic contrast-detection AF with center-weighted focusing area, face detection but no continuous AF or tracking. No manual focus either.

The FZ80's contrast AF is pleasantly quick and accurate for a bridge camera, especially at shorter focal lengths. The eye detection autofocus works fairly reliably for portraits, a feature absent in the Sony. The continuous shooting at 10 fps lets you capture action sequences fairly well for casual wildlife or sports shots.

Meanwhile, the Sony W690 shoots single-frame only, autofocus is sluggish particularly at telephoto zoom limits, and tracking moving subjects is poor.

For sports, wildlife, or any fast-moving subjects, the Panasonic clearly outperforms the Sony by a wide margin.

Zoom and Lens Performance - Where Panasonic’s ‘Super’ Zoom Shines

If zoom range is your main priority, the Panasonic’s 60x zoom lens is a game changer: 20-1200mm equivalent focal range, with a bright f/2.8 aperture at the wide end and f/5.9 at the longest reach. The lens also boasts effective optical image stabilization, essential for handheld shots at super telephoto lengths.

The Sony W690 offers a modest 10x range, 25-250mm f/3.3-5.9, which covers typical everyday shooting but lacks the reach for serious wildlife or distant subjects. Its optical stabilization helps but cannot compensate for the narrower zoom reach.

The Panasonic lens also supports macro focusing down to 1cm - astonishing for superzoom lenses - whereas the Sony’s macro mode only starts at 5cm, limiting close-up creativity.

Lens sharpness varies across the zoom ranges on both models, but Panasonic’s newer optics deliver better edge-to-edge sharpness especially at wide and mid zoom. At full telephoto, images soften somewhat but remain usable. The Sony suffers more from softness and chromatic aberrations at the long end.

Image Stabilization and Usability in the Field

Both cameras utilize optical image stabilization to combat handshake blur. Panasonic’s OIS is particularly effective, stabilizing up to several stops, which becomes crucial when holding a 1200mm focal length lens.

The Sony’s stabilization is acceptable but less robust, given its smaller zoom range and lighter body.

The Panasonic’s built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 1,166k-dot resolution and 100% coverage offers meaningful compositional advantages outdoors, where LCD glare can be challenging. The Sony W690 lacks any viewfinder, relying exclusively on its low-res 230k-dot fixed LCD, which hampers composition precision and preview quality, especially in bright light.

The Panasonic’s 3" 1,040k touchscreen is vastly superior for both framing and navigating menus compared to the Sony’s 3" 230k non-touch screen. Touch focusing and focus point selection on the Panasonic makes shooting simpler and more dynamic.

Battery Life and Connectivity - How Long and How Connected?

The Panasonic FZ80 uses a rechargeable battery providing about 330 shots per charge, which is average for bridge cameras but better than some similarly specced models. It supports USB 2.0 for image download and HDMI output for external display.

The Sony W690 delivers approximately 220 shots per charge, consistent with its compact class and older battery technology. However, it has no HDMI port and no wireless connectivity, limiting modern workflow convenience.

The Panasonic steps ahead again with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity for easy image transfer and remote shooting capabilities - a feature completely missing on the Sony.

Video Capabilities - Beyond Still Photography

Video is often overlooked in budget cameras, but I tested both carefully:

• Panasonic FZ80 shoots UHD 4K video at 30p (100 Mbps), Full HD 1080p at 60p, and supports 4K PHOTO mode (snapshots extracted from 4K video), ideal for capturing moments in a hybrid photo/video workflow. Video quality is consistently sharp and stable thanks to OIS.
• Sony W690 maxes out at 720p HD video at 30fps, which feels dated and low-res by today’s standards. No 1080p support.

Neither camera offers microphone or headphone ports, limiting audio options for serious videographers, but Panasonic’s 4K and high bitrate options make it much more versatile for casual video content creators.

Diving into Photography Disciplines

How do these technical differences translate into real photo genres? Here’s a breakdown based on my hands-on tests:

Portrait Photography

The Panasonic’s eye-detection AF and face detection work well to nail sharp focus on eyes, producing natural skin tones thanks to better sensor tech and processing. The aperture control lets you create smoother background blur (bokeh) at wide angles (f/2.8).

The Sony’s simpler AF system is less precise for portraits; it tends to focus on the nose or forehead rather than eyes, and limited aperture control onboard restricts bokeh control. Skin tone rendition is occasionally flat.

Landscape Photography

Panasonic’s higher resolution (18MP) and better dynamic range render landscapes with more detail and balanced highlights/shadows. The wide 20mm equivalent angle opens creative framing, and the optical zoom ensures versatile composition options.

Sony’s smaller sensor dynamic range and 16MP resolution provide adequate but less detailed landscape shots, and the narrower zoom limits framing flexibility.
Weather sealing is unavailable on both, so outdoor shooting demands caution.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Panasonic’s 10 fps burst mode, continuous autofocus tracking, and blazing zoom reach let you capture distant and fast-moving subjects with reasonable sharpness. It’s not a pro DSLR rival, but the FZ80 stands out among budget superzooms for wildlife enthusiasts.

Sony’s single shot rate, slow AF, and limited zoom reduce wildlife and sports usability drastically.

Street Photography

Street shooting benefits from a small, discreet camera. Sony’s tiny size and low weight are advantages here, allowing for stealth and ease of carry.

Panasonic, by contrast, is large and conspicuous, less suited to spontaneous street capture. However, Panasonic’s fast AF, customizable controls, and EVF allow for precise, creative street shots if discretion is less critical.

Low-light street environments highlight Panasonic’s better ISO handling and larger screen/display system.

Macro Photography

Panasonic impresses with a 1cm macro focus distance and focus stacking support - rare in fixed lens cameras at this price. You can achieve sharp close-ups of small subjects creatively.

Sony’s 5cm minimum focus distance and lack of focus stacking limit macro shooting capabilities.

Night and Astro Photography

For low light, Panasonic’s BSI-CMOS sensor allows cleaner images at up to ISO 3200 native. If you’re into nightscapes or astrophotography, the manual modes, long shutter options, and ability to shoot in RAW expand creative control.

Sony’s CCD sensor, limited manual control, and no raw support make night photography more challenging and lower quality.

Video Recording

The Panasonic’s UHD 4K at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps provide sharp, detailed video with stabilized footage, meeting casual videography and content creation needs.

Sony’s capabilities top out at 720p; low resolution and dated codec limit video quality noticeably.

Travel Photography

Panasonic’s versatility, zoom reach, and image quality make it a tempting travel companion if size and weight aren’t deal breakers. Battery life and wireless features support longer trips.

Sony’s compactness and lighter weight offer grab-and-go ease for street scenes and snapshots, but lower performance and zoom limit overall versatility.

Workflow, File Formats, and Professional Use

The Panasonic supports RAW format capture, granting professionals and advanced hobbyists extensive post-processing latitude. Sony W690, unfortunately, offers JPEG only, restricting editing flexibility.

In a professional setting, Panasonic’s manual controls, connectivity, and file support integrate more smoothly with robust workflows.

Price-to-Performance: Which One Offers More Bang for Your Buck?

At the time of review:

• Panasonic FZ80 priced around $399
• Sony W690 priced around $297

For about $100 more, you get a camera with vastly superior zoom options, autofocus, image quality, video capabilities, and connectivity in the Panasonic. The Sony appeals primarily if budget and ultra-portability are your highest priorities.

Summarizing the Scores: Panasonic Dominates in Most Categories

To visualize the overall and genre-specific performance differences, here are composite ratings based on hands-on performance tests:

And broken down by photography types:

As you can see, Panasonic consistently outperforms Sony in almost all use cases except portability and casual snapshot simplicity.

Panasonic FZ80 front Panasonic FZ80 screen back Sony W690 front Sony W690 screen back

Final Recommendations: Who Should Buy Which?

• Choose the Panasonic Lumix FZ80 if you:

  • Want long telephoto reach and versatile zoom (20-1200mm) for wildlife, sports, and travel
  • Require manual controls, RAW file capture, and good video specs (4K UHD)
  • Value comfortable handling, touch interface, EVF, and Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Shoot portraits, macro, or night photos and want decent image quality in low light
  • Are okay with a bulkier, heavier camera for better performance
  • Want affordable all-in-one superzoom with enthusiast features

• Choose the Sony DSC-W690 if you:

  • Prioritize ultra-compact, pocketable size and extremely light weight for casual use
  • Shoot mostly daylight snapshots or family events at fixed zoom lengths
  • Desire the simplest, no-fuss camera for point-and-shoot ease
  • Have a tight budget and can accept older sensor tech and limited controls

Parting Thoughts From a Veteran Reviewer

In all my years reviewing cameras, I’ve learned that a camera should serve your creative goals first - not the other way around. The Panasonic FZ80 is a versatile tool for photographers who want reach, control, and image quality on a budget. The Sony W690, while incredibly compact and easy, is best reserved for users who want something simple to grab without worrying about settings or lenses.

If you ask me which I’d prefer to shoot with in most scenarios, the FZ80 wins hands down - it feels like a true photographer’s superzoom. But if your needs are casual and minimal, the Sony earns points for simplicity and comfort.

Remember, money spent wisely on a camera that fits your style and needs avoids frustration - and inspires better photography.

I hope this comparison helps direct you to the best choice for your photographic adventures. Feel free to reach out for specific workflows or how either camera handles particular shooting niches - we all shoot differently!