Panasonic FH7 vs Sony NEX-5: A Detailed Field-Tested Comparison for Photography Enthusiasts

Choosing the right camera can feel like navigating a maze - especially when products span from ultra-compact to mirrorless with vastly different capabilities. Today, I’m diving deep into a head-to-head comparison between two very different cameras that nonetheless might intrigue budget-conscious photographers looking for a capable tool without breaking the bank:

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7: A small-sensor, fixed-lens compact from 2011, boasting portability and convenience.
• Sony Alpha NEX-5: An entry-level mirrorless camera from 2010, featuring an APS-C sensor and interchangeable lens system.

I’ve put both through their paces across a range of photography disciplines, examining major technical aspects from sensor performance to ergonomics, and real-world usability. Whether you’re a casual snapshooter, a budding professional, or a cheapskate looking for bargains, my comprehensive breakdown will help you understand which camera suits your needs best.

Getting to Know the Contenders: Size, Build, and Handling

First impressions count, and size plus ergonomics are a huge part of that. Despite their similar announcement periods, these cameras betray their very different design philosophies.

The Panasonic FH7 is a tiny, pocketable compact weighing only 126 grams and roughly the size of a candy bar (95x56x19 mm). Its plastic body and fixed 4x zoom lens make for a straightforward snap-and-go approach. It’s definitely a no-clubs-for-thumbs kind of shooter, sacrificing grip comfort for portability.

By contrast, the Sony NEX-5 weighs in at 287 grams and measures 111x59x38 mm - still small for an APS-C mirrorless but noticeably chunkier. Its rangefinder-style body offers a more serious grip, more buttons, and a modicum of heft that hints at more advanced handling yet remains travel-friendly.

Looking at the top view, the FH7 keeps it super simple - few buttons, no manual dials - aiming for casual users who don’t want to fiddle. The NEX-5, however, features a more traditional control layout with exposure modes, a control wheel, and customizable buttons, appealing more to photographers who prefer manual control.

Bottom line: If you want a camera that fits anywhere in your pocket and you’re happy shooting auto modes, the Panasonic wins for sheer compactness. If grip and manual controls are important - and you want to break out of point-and-shoot rules - the Sony’s body has the upper hand.

Sensor Size and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

The most fundamental difference here is sensor size and its impact on image quality. This disparity underpins much of their performance gap.

Panasonic FH7 packs a small 1/2.3" CCD sensor (6.08x4.56 mm), typical of budget compacts of its era. It delivers 16 megapixels, which sounds high but with a tiny sensor area of roughly 28 mm², it’s limited by noise and dynamic range.

Sony NEX-5 boasts an APS-C-sized CMOS sensor measuring 23.4x15.6 mm (365 mm²), over 13 times larger in surface area, with a 14-megapixel resolution. This architecture yields vastly improved color depth, low-light performance, and detail.

Looking at industry-standard DxO Mark figures (the NEX-5 scores 69 overall, which is respectable for an entry-level APS-C), the Sony’s sensor advantage is clear, especially in:

• Dynamic range: The NEX-5 boasts a broader tonal latitude, crucial for landscapes and tricky lighting.
• Color depth: Richer, more accurate hues, beneficial in portrait and product photography.
• High-ISO performance: Cleaner images in low light with less noise up to ISO 800 and beyond.

The FH7 lacks raw support and only saves JPEG files, which limits post-processing flexibility. The NEX-5 supports RAW, a key feature for enthusiasts willing to invest time in editing.

Real-world impact: While the Panasonic can produce decent-looking shots in bright daylight, the Sony consistently delivers higher quality photos, particularly noticeable when you zoom in or crop.

Focus Systems and Autofocus Performance

Autofocus is a critical area especially for wildlife, sports, and action photographers. Both cameras use contrast-detection AF systems (no phase detection here), but differ in sophistication.

Panasonic’s FH7 has 11 focus points with face detection and some multi-area AF. It includes an optical image stabilizer, which helps in steadying shots, but autofocus speed and accuracy are entry-level at best. No continuous AF or tracking for moving subjects.

The Sony NEX-5 improves with 25 focus points and offers selectable AF areas, including center weighted and spot metering modes - precision tools for more discerning shooters. It supports continuous AF (AF-C), which is critical for tracking moving subjects.

In my experience testing wildlife and sports scenes, the FH7’s AF lags and hunts noticeably, leading to missed shots in fast action situations. The NEX-5’s autofocus is faster and more reliable, though still constrained by its contrast-detect nature compared to modern hybrid systems.

Practical tip: If tracking fast subjects is priority, neither of these cameras is ideal by today’s standards, but the Sony will handle it better.

Screen and User Interface

Touchscreens and articulating displays have become game-changers for user experience. The FH7 offers a fixed 3” touchscreen but sadly only a meager 230k-dot resolution, resulting in a dim, grainy preview.

Sony’s NEX-5 sports a 3" tilting LCD with 920k dots, which is bright, detailed, and easier to compose from challenging angles. Sadly, it lacks touchscreen input, so you navigate menus with buttons.

The Panasonic’s touchscreen is responsive enough for basic point-and-tap, but lack of raw file support and live histogram limits its utility.

My conclusion: Sony’s screen is clearly a winner here, thanks to resolution and tilt functionality, boosting framing flexibility especially for macro or low-angle shots.

Lens Compatibility and Optical Performance

The Panasonic FH7 has a fixed 28-112mm equiv. zoom lens with a slow aperture range of f/3.1-6.5. This zoom covers moderate wide-angle to short telephoto, but lacks the brightness and flexibility for creative depth of field control. There’s no manual focusing, nor lens swapping.

Sony’s NEX-5’s Sony E-mount opens access to over 120 lenses ranging from ultra-wide to super-telephoto, primes to zooms, plus third-party options from the likes of Sigma and Tamron.

This makes the NEX-5 far more versatile, adaptable to almost any photography genre: portraits with fast primes, landscapes with ultra-wides, wildlife with big telephotos, and more.

While the FH7’s lens has optical stabilization and is convenient for compact use, in terms of sharpness and controllability, the NEX-5 with good glass handily outperforms it.

For macro lovers: Both cameras lack specialized macro lenses or high magnification out of the box, but with the Sony's lens ecosystem, affordable macro lenses can be added.

Burst Shooting and Shutter Speeds: Freezing the Action

If you shoot sports or fast wildlife, frame rate and shutter speed range matter.

The Panasonic FH7 offers 4 fps continuous shooting with a capped max shutter of 1/1600 sec. This is sufficient for casual snapshots but quickly falls short when trying to capture sharp action shots.

Sony NEX-5 doubles the frame rate to 7 fps, with shutter speeds from 30 sec to 1/4000 sec, giving it flexibility from long exposures to freeze-frame sports.

In practice, I found the NEX-5 much more capable at catching moments without blur, though its buffer size keeps it limited to roughly one second of full-speed shooting. Still better than the FH7.

Video Capabilities: HD but No Frills

If shooting video is part of your workflow, consider these differences:

The Panasonic FH7 records video in 1280x720 HD at 30fps using Motion JPEG format. MJPEG is relatively heavy, leading to larger files and limited editing flexibility. No microphone input or external headphone port means minimal audio control.

Sony NEX-5 steps up with 1920x1080 Full HD at 60fps in AVCHD format, offering better compression, sharper video, improved smoothness, and easier post-production. It lacks mic input but has HDMI output for external recorders.

For casual video, the FH7 suffices, but the Sony will appeal more to budding videographers wanting higher resolution and frame rates.

Battery Life and Storage

Battery life differences can dictate how long you shoot before swapping power.

Panasonic FH7 reports around 260 shots per charge, fairly typical for a compact. The lithium-ion pack is proprietary, but given the camera’s low power draw, it lasts for casual use.

Sony NEX-5 extends that to about 330 shots per charge - better but still not outstanding compared to DSLRs or newer mirrorless models.

Both use one memory card slot: FH7 takes SD/SDHC/SDXC, the NEX-5 supports SD family plus Memory Stick Pro Duo - a bonus if you own older Sony media.

Build Quality and Environmental Resistance

Neither camera offers weather sealing or rugged protection. The FH7’s plastic shell is vulnerable to knocks, whereas the NEX-5’s metal-reinforced body feels more durable yet still needs care outdoors.

If you shoot landscapes or travel in uncertain weather, you’ll want to invest in protective gear regardless.

Real-World Photography Disciplines: Which Excels Where?

I tested both extensively in field conditions spanning various photography types. Here’s my breakdown.

Portrait Photography

• Sony NEX-5: Native large sensor plus interchangeable fast primes yield smooth skin tones and shallow depth of field. Able to isolate subjects effectively. The 25 AF points and manual focus options add creative control.
• Panasonic FH7: Small sensor and slower lens mean flatter backgrounds and less-to-no bokeh. Face detection helps point-and-shoot shooters but skin tone rendering is weaker under mixed light.

Landscape Photography

• Sony NEX-5: Wide dynamic range and better color depth produce richer, more detailed landscapes. Tilting screen useful for low angles.
• Panasonic FH7: Limited dynamic range can cause blown highlights or blocked shadows on tough scenes. Zoom lens decent for framing but limited sharpness out wide.

Wildlife Photography

• Sony NEX-5: Faster autofocus and interchangeable telephoto lenses make it better at capturing wildlife action, though AF tracking is basic.
• Panasonic FH7: Struggles with focus speed, no telephoto reach beyond 112mm equiv., so distant subjects are tricky.

Sports Photography

• Sony NEX-5: 7fps burst helps, shutter speeds to 1/4000 fast enough to freeze motion, though buffer limits extended shooting.
• Panasonic FH7: 4fps burst and slower shutter mean more missed moments.

Street Photography

• Panasonic FH7: Small, discreet form factor perfect for candid shooting and urban strolls. Quiet enough; touchscreen aids quick snaps.
• Sony NEX-5: Bulkier and more conspicuous, but better image quality and scroll wheel for manual control can be an advantage.

Macro Photography

• Sony NEX-5: With dedicated lenses or extension tubes, can achieve precise focus and good magnification.
• Panasonic FH7: Limited to 5 cm close focus, fixed lens, modest image quality, but easy to get started.

Night/Astro Photography

• Sony NEX-5: High ISO up to 12,800 (native ISO 200 min), better noise control, manual exposure modes allow longer exposures.
• Panasonic FH7: ISO tops at 6400 but noisier images and no manual modes hamper astrophotography.

Travel Photography

• Panasonic FH7: Lightweight and pocketable equals great convenience while lugging gear.
• Sony NEX-5: More versatile but adds weight and bulk; battery life marginally better.

Professional Workflow Integration

• Sony NEX-5: RAW files, manual exposure, interchangeable lenses, and semi-robust build make it workable for certain professional applications, especially beginner pros.
• Panasonic FH7: Limited formats and controls restrict professional use.

The Visual Evidence: Image Quality Samples

For a peek at direct picture quality comparisons, here is a gallery showcasing both cameras’ JPEG output in various lighting and scene types.

Panasonic FH7 front Panasonic FH7 screen back Sony NEX 5 front Sony NEX 5 screen back

The differences in sharpness, dynamic range, color rendition, and noise levels are evident. The NEX-5’s APS-C sensor consistently produces cleaner, more vibrant shots.

Performance Scores at a Glance

To wrap up the technical comparisons, here are the overall and genre-specific scores synthesized from my tests and DxO references:

Weighing the Pros and Cons

Who Should Choose Which?

Buy the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7 if:

• You want an ultra-portable, fuss-free camera for casual shots.
• You prioritize budget over image quality.
• Your photography is mostly family snapshots, travel souvenirs, street candid shots.
• You don’t need interchangeable lenses or manual exposure controls.

Choose the Sony Alpha NEX-5 if:

• You want significantly better image quality from a larger sensor.
• You enjoy manual controls and interchangeable lenses.
• You shoot portraits, landscapes, events, or want to experiment with creative optics.
• You are looking for a solid first mirrorless system or a stepping stone into serious photography.
• Video recording with Full HD and better frame rates matters to you.

Final Thoughts: Experience Counts, but So Does Camera Choice

I have cut my teeth testing cameras across a broad spectrum - from compacts to full-frame flagships - so I can say with confidence the Sony NEX-5 remains a capable entry-level mirrorless that punches far above the Panasonic FH7 in image quality and creative options. That said, the Panasonic’s portability and simplicity make it a decent companion for casual everyday shooters who shoot mostly in good light and want quick results without fuss.

If price is your main concern and you want a pocket-friendly camera for holiday snaps, the FH7 might fit your needs. But if image quality and lens flexibility are important - even with a little extra bulk and cost - Sony’s NEX-5 is the far better investment.

Remember, your photography style and intended use case should always guide your camera choice. No one size fits all.

Happy shooting - and let me know which camera you're leaning towards, or if you want focus deeper on specific use cases!

(All technical data and real-world observations are based on hands-on testing and comparison of both camera models in similar shooting environments over multiple months.)