Panasonic FH8 vs Sony NEX-3N

Its time to take a deeper look at the Panasonic FH8 versus Sony NEX-3N, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the FH8 (16MP) and the NEX-3N (16MP) is relatively well matched but the FH8 (1/2.3") and NEX-3N (APS-C) have different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The FH8 was launched 13 months before the NEX-3N which makes them a generation away from each other. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH8 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a short introduction of how the FH8 matches up vs the NEX-3N with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH8 and Sony Alpha NEX-3N. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic FH8 Gallery and Sony NEX-3N Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FH8 offers external dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 123 grams (0.27 lbs) while the Sony NEX-3N has proportions of 110mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.4") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FH8 versus Sony NEX-3N in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the FH8 versus the NEX-3N.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the FH8 and NEX-3N is 96 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is tough to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions only by reading through technical specs. The pic below may give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the FH8 and NEX-3N.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras have the same resolution albeit different sensor dimensions. The FH8 features the tinier sensor which will make obtaining shallow depth of field more difficult. The more aged FH8 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.