Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7 vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H90: A Hands-On Comparison for Photography Enthusiasts

When it comes to small sensor compacts in the budget-friendly arena, two contenders from the last decade often emerge in discussions - Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-FH7 and Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-H90. Both cameras offer enticing features for casual shooters and budget-conscious enthusiasts, particularly those captivated by compactness and convenience without sacrificing too much image quality. They hail from the early 2010s compact camera wave, with respectable zoom capabilities and typical budget limitations. But which one holds up better in daily practice? More importantly, how do these two stack up across varied photography styles - be it portraiture, landscapes, wildlife, or even a bit of street shooting?

Having spent many hours shooting, testing, and comparing cameras in both studio and field environments, I’ll walk you through an in-depth, side-by-side analysis featuring real-world performance, technical measurements, and usability insights. Grab your favorite beverage - we’re going beyond spec sheets to what truly matters when you’re holding these cameras in your hand and behind the viewfinder.

Size, Build, and Ergonomics: Compactness vs Comfort

Sometimes, the little things you don’t notice in specs matter the most in real shoots. Starting with physical design, Panasonic’s FH7 impresses with its ultra-slim profile - measuring a mere 95 × 56 × 19 mm and weighing only 126 grams, it feels almost delicate but incredibly pocketable. It’s the kind of camera you might barely notice slipping into your jacket pocket or purse.

Conversely, Sony’s H90 carries a chunkier profile at 105 × 60 × 34 mm and 222 grams. It’s still pocketable, but noticeably more solid and weighty - closer to a mini bridge than a simple snapshooter. For those like me who value a reassuring grip and some heft to stabilize the camera in the hand, the H90’s robustness is a plus. The plastic body isn’t ruggedized or weather-sealed for either, so I wouldn’t take them into torrential rain, but the Sony’s build feels a bit more befitting modestly adventurous outings.

Design-wise, the FH7 opts for a more streamlined look with fewer distracting bumps. That said, if your hands are anything but tiny, the FH7’s ergonomics might feel cramped quickly as it lacks pronounced grip contours. The H90, with its larger size, offers more comfortable handling during extended shooting sessions.

Neither model sports an electronic viewfinder, so you’ll be relying solely on their rear LCD screens, which leads us neatly to...

Control Layout and User Interface: Which One Puts You at Ease?

The FH7 keeps things basic - with just enough buttons and a touchscreen-enabled 3" 230k-dot LCD to get the job done. I appreciated the touchscreen feature for quick menu scrolling and focusing on the fly. For casual snapshots and newcomers, it is a fairly painless interface. However, the screen resolution is on the low side, which can hamper detailed image review or precise manual focusing attempts (not that this camera supports much manual control).

Sony’s H90 forgoes touchscreen in favor of a higher resolution 3" 461k-dot ClearPhoto TFT LCD. This results in crisper previews and more satisfying menu navigation. The physical control dials and buttons - while not extensive - are slightly better spaced and offer manual exposure mode access, which the FH7 entirely lacks. This might be crucial for budding photographers who want to experiment with settings beyond full auto.

For raw shoot-to-edit workflows though, both cameras disappointingly omit RAW capture, something I consider critical if you want to push image quality. But I’ll dig into that further in the imaging section.

The Heart of the Camera: Sensor and Image Quality Insights

Both cameras utilize a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor measuring roughly 6.1 x 4.5 mm, sporting 16-megapixel resolution (4608x3456 max). This is a standard compact format sensor size, suitable for casual printing and sharing, but behind the curve compared to modern smartphones and enthusiast compacts with larger sensors.

This sensor size inherently limits dynamic range and low-light capabilities. The Panasonic FH7 and Sony H90 are no exception: expect notable noise above ISO 400 and compressed highlights in high contrast scenes. Neither model supports RAW, which means JPEG is all you get - leaving little room for post-processing latitude. In my lab tests, Panasonic’s Venus Engine IV and Sony’s BIONZ processors both do an adequate job of noise reduction, but at the cost of fine detail and some color accuracy.

Interestingly, Panasonic pushes the ISO ceiling up to 6400, but in real shooting situations, anything beyond 800 becomes visibly grainy and color noise riddled. Sony tops out at ISO 3200, which ironically yields slightly cleaner images due to more aggressive noise reduction, but less flexibility in low light. I found colors on Sony images to be a hair cooler and more neutral compared to the slightly warmer Panasonic tones - a minor aesthetic preference.

While these cameras won’t win awards for image quality, the sensor and processor pairing are sufficient for everyday daylight shooting, social media posts, and casual prints up to 8x10 inches. For anything more ambitious - like pixel-peeping landscapes or professional portraits - you’ll quickly notice the limitations.

Can They Handle Portraits? Skin Tones and Bokeh Battle

Portrait shooting is where sensor size and lens quality really show up. Neither the FH7 nor the H90 have particularly fast lenses - the FH7’s f/3.1-6.5 and the H90’s f/3.3-5.9 - not ideal for dreamy backgrounds or isolating subjects with shallow depth of field.

Both cameras come with face detection autofocus to help keep people crisp, and both showed decent accuracy focusing on eyes in my testing under well-lit conditions. Panasonic’s touchscreen aid on the FH7 made it easier for me to select focus points manually, a nice plus for nailing sharp eyes.

That said, thanks to smaller sensors and relatively slow apertures, achieving appealing subject-background separation is a stretch. Backgrounds tend to stay busy with noticeable detail, and bokeh is unremarkable at best. Neither camera offers sophisticated advanced eye-tracking AF like modern mirrorless competitors, so don’t expect miracles.

Flash performance for fill-light portraits is decent from both, with the H90 boasting a slightly longer flash range (3.7 m vs. Panasonic’s 3.3 m), but built-in flash quality remains typical compact style: relatively harsh and flat.

Landscapes: Dynamic Range and Resolution for the Wide Shot

Landscape photography puts certain demands on image resolution and dynamic range. Both cameras deliver the full 16-megapixel sensor resolution, which theoretically caters for good cropping and detail-rich prints.

However, the limited dynamic range of these small sensors means blowouts in bright skies and crushed shadows in high contrast scenarios - something I observed repeatedly in the field, for instance shooting bright snowy mountain scenes. Neither camera offers HDR bracketing modes, so recovering detail post-capture requires restraint in exposure or manual compensation.

Panasonic’s exposure compensation is unavailable, which can be frustrating for scenes requiring fine tuning. Sony, on the other hand, allows exposure compensation and manual exposure mode, letting you push your creative control a bit further.

Weather resistance is non-existent on both models - neither is sealed against dust, moisture or cold; if you’re a landscape shooter venturing outdoors, treat them gingerly and always pack protective covers. The H90’s larger body is a bit easier to grip when wearing gloves in cool conditions.

Zoom and Telephoto Performance: Wildlife and Sports Considerations

Here’s where the cameras start diverging markedly. The FH7 offers a modest 4x zoom (28-112 mm equivalent), while the H90 sports a superzoom 16x range (24-384 mm equivalent). If you’re eyeballing wildlife or sports photography, this jump in reach is significant.

Panasonic FH7 front Panasonic FH7 screen back Sony H90 front Sony H90 screen back

In practical shooting, the H90’s telephoto lens can bring distant subjects closer, but with caveats. Telephoto aperture narrows to f/5.9, limiting light-gathering and necessitating faster shutter speeds to avoid blur. Image quality softens noticeably at the long end, with chromatic aberrations creeping in and vignetting at maximum zoom - standard trade-offs in ultra-compact zoom lenses.

Autofocus performance in both cameras uses contrast detection with 11 points (FH7) or unknown specifics (H90). Neither employs phase detection or hybrid autofocus found in higher-end models, resulting in slower acquisition and occasional hunting in challenging light. Sony’s H90 seems marginally slower in continuous shooting (1 fps vs. FH7’s 4 fps), making fast action sequences somewhat impractical.

If you’re a casual wildlife or sports shooter mainly capturing stationary or slow-moving subjects, both will do the job. For anything beyond that - rapidly moving action or distant birds in flight - an interchangeable lens camera or super-telephoto bridge like Canon SX70 would be a smarter investment.

Street Photography: Discretion and Responsiveness on the Go

Portability and responsiveness are crucial for street photographers. Panasonic FH7’s ultra-compact, lightweight design easily slips into pockets, making it a prime candidate for candid shooting with minimal intrusion. The touchscreen focusing helps zero in on subjects discreetly.

Sony H90’s bulkier footprint still fits into bags but stands out more - something taken for granted in a casual walk-around scenario, but could evoke stares in sensitive street environments.

Low light street shots suffer from both models’ limited high ISO prowess. Neither includes advanced image stabilization tech beyond basic optical IS, so slower shutter speeds produce blur without a steady hand or tripod.

Silent shooting options are missing as well, so the whirrs and clicks might alert subjects. Personally, I wouldn’t pick either for serious street work where discretion is paramount; more modern compacts or rangefinders fit the bill better.

Macro Photography: Close-Ups and Focusing Precision

Both cameras claim a minimum macro focusing distance of 5 cm, competitive for their class. In handheld shoots, the Panasonic FH7’s touchscreen focus really shines - allowing you to lock focus precisely on tiny flowers or insects.

Sony’s focusing is slower and lacks touch assist, so nailing critical focus can be a slog. Neither camera offers focus stacking or bracketed focus, so true macro enthusiasts will find the lack of advanced features limiting.

Image stabilization helps a bit in hand-held macros, but the limited lens aperture and sensor capabilities cap quality and background separation.

Night and Astro Shooting: High ISO and Long Exposure Limitations

Night photography is arguably the toughest test for small-sensor cameras. Both models’ max shutter speeds extend to 1/1600s and minimum shutter speeds only as slow as 30s (Sony) or 60s (Panasonic), which is acceptable but no bulb mode for ultra-long exposures.

High ISO performance is weak once past ISO 400, with noise quickly dominating images. Neither supports manual ISO boost, and noise reduction is rather aggressive, losing starfield detail in astrophotography scenarios.

Practical astrophotography calls for larger sensors and manual controls - neither FH7 nor H90 qualifies. However, if you want simple handheld night snapshots for family gatherings or cityscapes, they will suffice in bright street lighting.

Video Capabilities: Modest Specs for Casual Use

Both cameras max out at 720p HD video recording at 30 fps - not quite high definition by today’s standards but adequate for casual sharing.

Panasonic FH7 records in Motion JPEG format, while Sony H90 uses MPEG-4. Neither supports higher resolution 1080p or 4K, nor does either feature advanced video functionalities like autofocus tracking during video or external microphone inputs.

Optical image stabilization aids video steadiness marginally, but the absence of in-body or electronic stabilization makes handheld footage shaky if you don’t have a steady grip.

For casual family clips or short social videos, either camera is fine, but videographers or vloggers will want to look elsewhere.

Travel Photography: Versatility, Battery, and Storage

Battery life is decent on both models - 260 shots for FH7 and slightly better 290 for H90. Given their age and compact sensor status, I found this acceptable for day trips or urban explorations if you carry a spare battery.

Sony’s broader storage options - supporting both SD cards and Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick formats - offer more flexibility. Panasonic sticks to SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, which are more common and convenient.

The FH7’s compact size is travel-friendly, while the H90’s superzoom appeals for travelers wanting to capture diverse scenes without swapping lenses. The trade-off is bulk, which might matter on crowded buses or city walks.

If you anticipate varying shooting scenarios - wide landscapes, street scenes, close-ups, and distant subjects - the H90 will serve more versatile shooting foes. The FH7 better suits ultra-light travelers prioritizing absolute portability.

Professional Work: Reliability and Workflow Compatibility

Neither camera targets professional photographers. Absence of RAW shooting, limited manual control, lack of rugged build, and modest image quality stand as barriers to professional use beyond casual or instant client needs.

On the plus side, both cameras write to standard JPEG formats compatible with all common editing software and offer face detection - useful in event snapshots or general documentation.

However, for workflow integration demanding RAW files, tethering, fast card writes, or serious file fidelity, you’ll want to look at mirrorless or DSLR systems.

Technical Summary and Performance Scores

How Do They Perform Across Photography Genres?

Portraits

• FH7 is easier to handle for casual faces; touchscreen AF helps.
• H90 offers manual exposure, aiding creative control.
• Neither achieves shallow depth-of-field or excellent bokeh.

Landscapes

• Both limited by dynamic range and lack of bracketing.
• H90’s exposure compensation grants better exposure flexibility.
• Neither is weather sealed for harsh outdoor conditions.

Wildlife and Sports

• H90 wins with superzoom but limited burst and AF speed.
• FH7 faster burst but shorter reach.
• Neither suitable for fast action or professional wildlife capture.

Street

• FH7 is unobtrusive and lightweight - better for stealth shooting.
• H90’s weight and size are a concession.
• Both struggle with noise in low light.

Macro

• Both support 5cm close focus distances.
• FH7’s touchscreen enhances close-up focusing accuracy.

Night/Astro

• Neither offers serious long exposure options.
• Limited high ISO performance limits utility at night.

Video

• Basic HD video, no advanced video features.
• Sony offers slightly better encoding format.

Travel

• FH7 excels in portability.
• H90 provides zoom versatility.
• Battery life and storage are comparable.

Professional

• Neither supports RAW or advanced controls.
• Suitable only for casual or proof-of-concept professional use.

Where Each Camera Shines - Making the Right Choice for You

Choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7 if:

• Your priority is ultra-compact size, for portability on casual daily walks or travel.
• You want touchscreen exposure and AF control for ease of use.
• Price sensitivity is key and you desire decent image quality for social sharing.
• Photography is mostly snapshots, portraits, and family photos in good light.

Choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H90 if:

• You seek versatility through an extended zoom range for distant subjects.
• Manual exposure controls and exposure compensation are important to your creative process.
• You value a better resolution LCD for composing and reviewing shots.
• You don't mind the larger size and slightly heavier weight for better grip.

Personally, I found the Sony H90 a better all-rounder with its zoom range, manual controls, and sturdier ergonomics. However, my heart warmed towards the Panasonic FH7 for those quick grab-and-go moments where size and simplicity trump zoom. Neither will satisfy advanced photographers wanting RAW capability or stellar low-light performance. The choice boils down to your shooting style, priorities, and budget constraints.

If you’re budget permitting, it’s worth also looking at more recent mirrorless or advanced compact offerings which improve considerably in sensor size, autofocus sophistication, and image quality - especially if you lean towards serious portraits, landscapes, or video. But as pocketable point-and-shoot options from their era, the FH7 and H90 each have merit for casual photo enthusiasts.

Happy shooting, and remember: the best camera is the one you actually carry and enjoy using!