Panasonic FH5 vs Sony NEX-7

Lets look more closely at the Panasonic FH5 versus Sony NEX-7, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the FH5 (16MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the FH5 (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

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The FH5 was unveiled 11 months earlier than the NEX-7 so they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a in depth comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the FH5 scores vs the NEX-7 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5 & Sony Alpha NEX-7. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic FH5 Gallery & Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic FH5 features external measurements 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 Sony NEX-7 has specifications of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FH5 versus Sony NEX-7 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at the time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the FH5 and the NEX-7.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FH5 and NEX-7 is 96 and 84 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to picture the difference between sensor sizes just by going over specs. The image below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the FH5 and NEX-7.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The FH5 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-7 will offer you greater detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more aged FH5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.