Panasonic FH7 vs Sony NEX-3

Lets look a little more in depth at the Panasonic FH7 vs Sony NEX-3, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the FH7 (16MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is fairly close but the FH7 (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FH7 was manufactured 16 months after the NEX-3 making the cameras a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going through a step-by-step comparison, below is a short summation of how the FH7 scores against the NEX-3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic FH7 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FH7 has got external measurements of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3 has dimensions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FH7 vs Sony NEX-3 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the FH7 vs the NEX-3.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FH7 and NEX-3 is 96 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes only by researching technical specs. The pic here might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the FH7 and NEX-3.

As you have seen, both cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The FH7 because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Panasonic FH7 will provide you with more detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos much more aggressively. The newer FH7 should have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.