Panasonic FH7 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill

Here, we are looking at the Panasonic FH7 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Panasonic and Sigma. The resolution of the FH7 (16MP) and the DP3 Merrill (15MP) is fairly well matched but the FH7 (1/2.3") and DP3 Merrill (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The FH7 was revealed 16 months before the DP3 Merrill making them a generation away from one another. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a short summary of how the FH7 grades versus the DP3 Merrill in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7 & Sigma DP3 Merrill. The full galleries are available at Panasonic FH7 Gallery & Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic FH7 offers exterior dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sigma DP3 Merrill has sizing of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") having a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FH7 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the FH7 against the DP3 Merrill.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FH7 and DP3 Merrill is 96 and 83 respectively.

Normally, its tough to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes only by reading through specs. The image here might give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the FH7 and DP3 Merrill.

All in all, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The FH7 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Panasonic FH7 will resolve more detail because of its extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more aged FH7 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.