Panasonic FH1 vs Sony NEX-5

The following is a extensive analysis of the Panasonic FH1 versus Sony NEX-5, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the FH1 (12MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is pretty close but the FH1 (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) use different sensor sizes.

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The FH1 was revealed 5 months prior to the NEX-5 and they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FH1 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a short summary of how the FH1 scores vs the NEX-5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1 & Sony Alpha NEX-5. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FH1 Gallery & Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FH1 features outer dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 163 grams (0.36 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5 has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic FH1 versus Sony NEX-5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose at the time. Following is the front view scale comparison of the FH1 and the NEX-5.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the FH1 and NEX-5 is 95 and 89 respectively.

Often, its hard to picture the contrast in sensor dimensions just by viewing technical specs. The image here might give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the FH1 and NEX-5.

As you have seen, both the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FH1 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony NEX-5 will result in more detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures much more aggressively.