Panasonic FX48 vs Nikon S640 Comparison

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Panasonic FX48

12 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

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Nikon S640

12 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

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Panasonic FX48 vs Nikon S640 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing FX48 and S640, two Small Sensor Compact cameras from Panasonic and Nikon. Both Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640 cameras have 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensors. Panasonic FX48 was introduced to market in January 2009 and Nikon S640 was launched in August 2009. There is only 6 months difference between FX48 and S640 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic FX48 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2009-01-27

12MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 3200 ( expands to 6400)

25-125 mm F2.8-5.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

2.5" Fixed Type Screen

2 fps continuous shooting

- 640 x 480 video resolution

150g. 95 x 53 x 22 mm

Also known as Lumix DMC-FX40

Nikon S640 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2009-08-04

12MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400

28-140 mm F2.7-6.6 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

2.7" Fixed Type Screen

continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

130g. 91 x 55 x 21 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48 over Nikon Coolpix S640

Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Focal Length - Wide	25mm vs 28mm	3 mm wider coverage
Max Aperture - Tele	5.90 vs 6.60	faster lens at tele

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S640 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48

Max ISO	6.400 vs 3.200	100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size	2.7" vs 2.5"	0.2 inches larger display
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/3000s	faster mechanical shutter
Weight	130 g vs 150 g	20 g lighter
Focal Length - Tele	140mm vs 125mm	15 mm longer tele reach
Max Aperture - Wide	2.70 vs 2.80	faster lens at wide
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720 vs 640 x 480	Higher Resolution Video

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48 and Nikon Coolpix S640

Image Stabilization	Optical vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48 and Nikon Coolpix S640

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality
LCD Screen Size	2.5" vs 2.7"	Small display
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 230k dots	Low resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs fps	Slow shooting speeds
Manual Focusing	No vs No	No manual focusing modes
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
Max Aperture - Tele	5.90 vs 6.60	Slow lenses at tele

Panasonic FX48 vs Nikon S640: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic FX48 has external dimensions of 95 x 53 x 22 mm (3.74 x 2.09 x 0.87″) and weighs 150 g (0.33 lb / 5.29 oz) (including batteries). Nikon S640 has external dimensions of 91 x 55 x 21 mm (3.58 x 2.17 x 0.83″) and weighs 130 g (0.29 lb / 4.59 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640. Nikon S640 is 4mm narrower and 1mm thinner than Panasonic FX48 but it is also 2mm taller.

Comparison image of Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640.

Comparison image of Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640 Size and Weight - Back View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

FX48

S640

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

FX48

S640

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48 (Lumix DMC-FX40) nor Nikon Coolpix S640 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon S640's 2.7" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic FX48's 2.5" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Panasonic FX48 vs Nikon S640: Sensor Comparison

Both Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640 have 1/2.3-inch sized 12.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the FX48 and S640 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640 Cameras

Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Panasonic FX48 vs Nikon S640 Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic FX48 features a 25-125 mm F2.8-5.9 5× zoom lens whereas Nikon S640 features a 28-140 mm F2.7-6.6 5× zoom lens.

Panasonic FX48 has 3mm wider coverage than the Nikon S640. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.70, Nikon S640 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon S640 has 15mm longer telezoom reach than the Panasonic FX48. However, with a max aperture of f5.90, Panasonic FX48 is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

FX48

S640

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

FX48

S640

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

FX48

S640

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

FX48

S640

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Panasonic FX48 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Nikon S640 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic FX48 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon S640 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.70
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Panasonic FX48 for Sports Photography

POOR

Nikon S640 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
11 Focus Points
Average Max shutter speed: 1/3000s
125 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
140 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.60
Read the details

Panasonic FX48 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon S640 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Compact Body
150g
Body Thickness 22mm
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Compact Body
130g
Body Thickness 21mm
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Panasonic FX48 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon S640 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Manual Exposure Mode
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic FX48 vs Nikon S640: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Panasonic FX48 and Nikon S640 scores compare:

Panasonic FX48

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #299 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #930 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon S640

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #370 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1040 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic FX48 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon S640 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon S640 vs Panasonic FX48 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48	Nikon Coolpix S640
Brand	Panasonic	Nikon
Announced	2009-01-27	2009-08-04
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CCD
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.08 x 4.56 mm	6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area	27.72mm²	27.72mm²
Megapixels	12 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4000 x 3000	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	3,200 ISO	6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	6400 ISO	-
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 ISO	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	11	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-125 mm (5×)	28-140 mm (5×)
Max Aperture	F2.8-5.9	F2.7-6.6
Macro Focus Range	5cm	2cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.5"	2.7"
Resolution	230k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/3000s	1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	6.00 m	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	2.0 fps	n/a
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	640 x 480	1280 x 720
Video Formats	Motion JPEG	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	150g	130g
Dimensions	95 x 53 x 22mm	91 x 55 x 21mm
Battery Life	n/a	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction