Panasonic FH5 vs Pentax Q7

Let's look more closely at the Panasonic FH5 vs Pentax Q7, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the FH5 (16MP) and Q7 (12MP) and the FH5 (1/2.3") and Q7 (1/1.7") posses totally different sensor size.

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The FH5 was introduced 3 years prior to the Q7 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera and the Pentax Q7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a concise overview of how the FH5 matches up versus the Q7 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5 and Pentax Q7. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic FH5 Gallery and Pentax Q7 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry around your camera frequently, you have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FH5 features external dimensions of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs) while the Pentax Q7 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic FH5 vs Pentax Q7 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the FH5 and the Q7.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FH5 and Q7 is 96 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to see the contrast between sensor sizes merely by reading through a spec sheet. The picture below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the FH5 and Q7.

Clearly, both of those cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The FH5 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Panasonic FH5 will give more detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures more aggressively. The more aged FH5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.