Panasonic FH1 vs Sony NEX-5R

Below, we are matching up the Panasonic FH1 vs Sony NEX-5R, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the FH1 (12MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the FH1 (1/2.3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) use different sensor measurements.

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The FH1 was released 3 years earlier than the NEX-5R which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FH1 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the FH1 scores against the NEX-5R in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1 and Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic FH1 Gallery and Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

When you are planning to travel with your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FH1 offers outside measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 163 grams (0.36 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5R has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FH1 vs Sony NEX-5R in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the FH1 and the NEX-5R.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FH1 and NEX-5R is 95 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, its tough to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions purely by going through specifications. The image below will provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the FH1 and NEX-5R.

To sum up, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The FH1 because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Sony NEX-5R will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more aged FH1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.