Panasonic FP2 vs Sony NEX-3N

Following is a extensive overview of the Panasonic FP2 vs Sony NEX-3N, former is a Ultracompact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the FP2 (14MP) and the NEX-3N (16MP) is fairly close but the FP2 (1/2.3") and NEX-3N (APS-C) offer different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FP2 was manufactured 4 years prior to the NEX-3N which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FP2 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony NEX-3N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the FP2 grades against the NEX-3N in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP2 & Sony Alpha NEX-3N. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic FP2 Gallery & Sony NEX-3N Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FP2 comes with outside measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") with a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3N has dimensions of 110mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FP2 vs Sony NEX-3N in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using at that time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the FP2 against the NEX-3N.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the FP2 and NEX-3N is 95 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizes merely by researching specifications. The pic below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the FP2 and NEX-3N.

To sum up, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The FP2 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Sony NEX-3N will render more detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more aged FP2 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.