Panasonic FH3 vs Pentax Q7

Here is a extended assessment of the Panasonic FH3 and Pentax Q7, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Pentax. The resolution of the FH3 (14MP) and the Q7 (12MP) is pretty comparable but the FH3 (1/2.3") and Q7 (1/1.7") offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The FH3 was announced 4 years before the Q7 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax Q7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a short introduction of how the FH3 scores versus the Q7 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3 & Pentax Q7. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FH3 Gallery & Pentax Q7 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FH3 has got outer dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs) while the Pentax Q7 has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") having a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FH3 and Pentax Q7 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the FH3 vs the Q7.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the FH3 and Q7 is 94 and 92 respectively.

Often, it can be tough to see the contrast in sensor sizing purely by seeing a spec sheet. The visual below might provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FH3 and Q7.

As you can see, the two cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FH3 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic FH3 will show extra detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs more aggressively. The older FH3 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.