Nikon D5200 vs Panasonic G7

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Nikon D5200

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Panasonic G7

16 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D5200 vs Panasonic G7 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon D5200, which was introduced in May 2013 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 24.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Panasonic G7, which was introduced in May 2015 is a Semi-Pro Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, D5200 is 2 years older than G7. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon D5200 and Panasonic G7 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D5200 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-05-16

24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 25600)

Nikon F Mount

3" Fully Articulated Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

5 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

555g. 129 x 98 x 78 mm

Replaced Nikon D5100 Compare

Panasonic G7 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2015-05-19

16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 25600

Micro Four Thirds Mount

3" Fully Articulated Screen

2360k dot Electronic viewfinder

7.0 fps continuous shooting

3840 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

410g. 125 x 86 x 77 mm

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 Compare

Nikon D5200 was replaced by Nikon D5300. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D5300 vs Nikon D5200
Nikon D5300 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D5200 and Panasonic G7 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D5200 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7

Max Sensor Resolution	24 MP vs 16 MP	50% more pixels
Battery Life	500 shots vs 350 shots	150 more frames with a single charge
Flash Coverage	12.0m vs 9.3m	2.7m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	15.28µm² vs 14.21µm²	7% larger pixel area

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 over Nikon D5200

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs Optional	Better connectivity
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Max ISO	25.600 vs 6.400	300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	49 vs 39	10 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 921k dots	12% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage	100% vs 95%	More accurate viewfinder
Max Shutter Speed	1/16000s vs 1/4000s	faster shutter speed
Continuous Shooting	7.0fps vs 5.0fps	2 fps faster
Weight	410 g vs 555 g	145 g lighter
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range	±3 EV vs ±2 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
4K Photo Mode	Yes vs No	Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Post Focus Mode	Yes vs No	Change focus point after taking a shot
Smartphone_remote control	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Nikon D5200 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7

Articulating Screen	Yes vs Yes	Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Electronic)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 1.040k dots	Higher resolution screens
Microphone Port	Yes vs Yes	High quality audio recording option
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs Yes	creative shooting
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie Friendly LCD	Yes vs Yes	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Weaknesses of Nikon D5200 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7

Image Stabilization	No vs No	No Built-in stabilization
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Nikon D5200 vs Panasonic G7: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon D5200 and Panasonic G7 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D5200 and Panasonic G7. Panasonic G7 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 4mm narrower, 12mm shorter and 1mm thinner than Nikon D5200.

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon D5200 and Panasonic G7.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D5200 and Panasonic G7.

Nikon D5200 vs Panasonic G7 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic G7 is significantly lighter (145g ) than the Nikon D5200 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Nikon D5200 has an APS-C sized sensor and Panasonic G7 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic G7's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Nikon D5200 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D5200

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D5200

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon D5200 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D5200 and Panasonic G7's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Nikon D5200 vs Panasonic G7: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D5200 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3 processor. On the other hand, Panasonic G7 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Nikon D5200's sensor provides 8MP more than Panasonic G7's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the D5200 and G7 sensor size comparison.

As seen above, Nikon D5200 has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than Panasonic G7. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Nikon D5200 and Panasonic G7 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D5200 and Panasonic G7 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon D5200 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic G7 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D5200 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic G7 for Street Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D5200 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic G7 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
39 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/16000s
49 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D5200 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Panasonic G7 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
555g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
410g
Body Thickness 77mm
Read the details

Nikon D5200 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic G7 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic G7 vs Nikon D5200 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Nikon D5200 has an advantage over Panasonic G7. There are 302 lenses for Nikon D5200's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 98 lenses for Panasonic G7's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 88 lenses for Nikon F mount and 22 lenses for Micro Four Thirds mount with IS.

Lens Type	# of Nikon D5200 Lenses	# of Panasonic G7 Lenses
Standard Zoom	33	14
Standard Prime	20	12
Wideangle Zoom	32	4
Wideangle Prime	46	26
Telephoto Zoom	51	17
Telephoto Prime	42	8
SuperZoom	30	7
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	8	5
Macro Prime	25	4
Perspective Control Prime	11	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	1	1
TOTAL	302	98

Nikon D5200 vs Panasonic G7: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon D5200 and Panasonic G7, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon D5200 and Panasonic G7 scores compare:

Nikon D5200

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #11 out of 77 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #128 out of 1181 in all Cameras

Panasonic G7

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #37 out of 65 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #91 out of 1181 in all Cameras

Panasonic G7 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon D5200. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that G7 trails behind the D5200: Imaging
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Nikon D5200. If not, we recommend the Panasonic G7.

Nikon D5200

Panasonic G7

Panasonic G7 vs Nikon D5200 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon D5200	Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7
Brand	Nikon	Panasonic
Announced	2013-05-16	2015-05-19
Body Type	Compact SLR	SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	APS-C	Four Thirds
Dimensions	23.5 x 15.6 mm	17.3 x 13 mm
Area	366.60mm²	224.90mm²
Megapixels	24 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	6000 x 4000	4592 x 3448
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	25600 ISO	-
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	39	49
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Nikon F	Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses	302	98
Screen
Type	Fully Articulated	Fully Articulated
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	921k dots	1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentamirror)	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder	2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.52	0.7
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed	1/4000s	1/16000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m (at ISO 100)	9.30 m
Max Flash Sync	1/200s	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	5.0 fps	7.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Optional	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	555g	410g
Dimensions	129 x 98 x 78mm	125 x 86 x 77mm
Battery Life	500 shots	350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Optional	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	84	not tested
DxO Color Depth	24.2	not tested
DxO Dynamic Range	13.9	not tested
DxO Low Light ISO	1284	not tested
	Report a correction	Report a correction

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