Panasonic FS12 vs Sony NEX-7

Let's look more closely at the Panasonic FS12 and Sony NEX-7, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the FS12 (12MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the FS12 (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The FS12 was announced 3 years before the NEX-7 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a short view of how the FS12 scores vs the NEX-7 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 and Sony Alpha NEX-7. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic FS12 Gallery and Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FS12 provides outside dimensions of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Sony NEX-7 has measurements of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FS12 and Sony NEX-7 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the FS12 versus the NEX-7.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the FS12 and NEX-7 is 95 and 84 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to visualise the difference between sensor measurements just by reading technical specs. The visual underneath will help give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the FS12 and NEX-7.

As you have seen, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FS12 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Sony NEX-7 will offer extra detail with its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older FS12 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.