Panasonic FH7 vs Sony NEX-5R

The following is a extended overview of the Panasonic FH7 and Sony NEX-5R, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the FH7 (16MP) and the NEX-5R (16MP) is very similar but the FH7 (1/2.3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The FH7 was introduced 11 months prior to the NEX-5R which means that they are of a similar age. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving through a in-depth comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the FH7 matches up vs the NEX-5R in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7 & Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic FH7 Gallery & Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FH7 features physical measurements of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5R has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic FH7 and Sony NEX-5R in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the FH7 against the NEX-5R.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FH7 and NEX-5R is 96 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions purely by reading a spec sheet. The pic underneath may provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the FH7 and NEX-5R.

As you can see, both of the cameras posses the exact same megapixels but not the same sensor dimensions. The FH7 has the tinier sensor which will make obtaining shallower depth of field more challenging. The more aged FH7 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.