Panasonic FX78 vs Sony NEX-5R

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Panasonic FX78 and Sony NEX-5R, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the FX78 (12MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the FX78 (1/2.3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizes.

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The FX78 was unveiled 19 months earlier than the NEX-5R making the cameras a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FX78 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a simple summation of how the FX78 matches up against the NEX-5R with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 and Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FX78 Gallery and Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you will need to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FX78 has outside measurements of 100mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5R has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FX78 and Sony NEX-5R in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have during that time. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the FX78 and the NEX-5R.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FX78 and NEX-5R is 95 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes purely by checking out specs. The pic below will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the FX78 and NEX-5R.

All in all, the 2 cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The FX78 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-5R will produce more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop pics a little more aggressively. The more aged FX78 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.