Panasonic FH7 vs Sony A100

Below is a thorough review of the Panasonic FH7 versus Sony A100, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the FH7 (16MP) and A100 (10MP) and the FH7 (1/2.3") and A100 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The FH7 was announced 5 years later than the A100 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving through a in-depth comparison, below is a short overview of how the FH7 matches up versus the A100 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic FH7 Gallery and Sony A100 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FH7 offers outside dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Sony A100 has proportions of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") having a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic FH7 versus Sony A100 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the FH7 and the A100.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FH7 and A100 is 96 and 64 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to envision the contrast between sensor measurements merely by reading through a spec sheet. The visual below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the FH7 and A100.

Clearly, the 2 cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FH7 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic FH7 will resolve greater detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a little more aggressively. The fresher FH7 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.