Panasonic FH1 vs Sony NEX-3

Lets take a closer look at the Panasonic FH1 and Sony NEX-3, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the FH1 (12MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is fairly close but the FH1 (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The FH1 was announced 5 months before the NEX-3 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FH1 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a brief summation of how the FH1 matches up vs the NEX-3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1 and Sony Alpha NEX-3. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic FH1 Gallery and Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera frequently, you'll have to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic FH1 features external measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 163 grams (0.36 lbs) while the Sony NEX-3 has specifications of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

See the Panasonic FH1 and Sony NEX-3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the FH1 compared to the NEX-3.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the FH1 and NEX-3 is 95 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to visualise the difference in sensor sizes purely by looking through technical specs. The picture underneath should give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the FH1 and NEX-3.

As you have seen, both the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The FH1 using its smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Sony NEX-3 will result in greater detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a good deal more aggressively.