Panasonic FH7 vs Sony a5100

Let's take a closer look at the Panasonic FH7 and Sony a5100, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the FH7 (16MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the FH7 (1/2.3") and a5100 (APS-C) provide different sensor dimensions.

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The FH7 was released 3 years earlier than the a5100 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a complete comparison, here is a brief view of how the FH7 matches up vs the a5100 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7 & Sony Alpha a5100. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic FH7 Gallery & Sony a5100 Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FH7 has external dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Sony a5100 has dimensions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") having a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FH7 and Sony a5100 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the FH7 against the a5100.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the FH7 and a5100 is 96 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it's tough to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing simply by checking a spec sheet. The graphic below should offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the FH7 and a5100.

As you can see, both of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The FH7 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh harder and the Sony a5100 will give you extra detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The older FH7 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.