Panasonic FH7 vs Sony A700

Here, we are evaluating the Panasonic FH7 and Sony A700, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the FH7 (16MP) and A700 (12MP) and the FH7 (1/2.3") and A700 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The FH7 was unveiled 3 years later than the A700 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera and the Sony A700 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a short introduction of how the FH7 scores against the A700 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A700. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FH7 Gallery and Sony A700 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FH7 comes with exterior dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sony A700 has dimensions of 142mm x 105mm x 80mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.1") having a weight of 768 grams (1.69 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FH7 and Sony A700 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the FH7 versus the A700.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the FH7 and A700 is 96 and 58 respectively.

Usually, it can be hard to envision the difference in sensor measurements only by seeing specifications. The visual underneath will help provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the FH7 and A700.

To sum up, both of those cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FH7 having a smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Panasonic FH7 will show greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics way more aggressively. The more recent FH7 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.