Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Panasonic FH8 and Panasonic GX7 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic FH8 has external dimensions of 96 x 57 x 19 mm (3.78 x 2.24 x 0.75″) and weighs 123 g (0.27 lb / 4.34 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic GX7 has external dimensions of 123 x 71 x 55 mm (4.83 x 2.78 x 2.15″) and weighs 402 g (0.89 lb / 14.18 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Panasonic FH8 and the Panasonic GX7. Panasonic FH8 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 27mm narrower, 14mm shorter and 36mm thinner than Panasonic GX7. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic FH8 has a built-in lens but Panasonic GX7 doesn't. Once you put a lens on GX7, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Panasonic FH8 and Panasonic GX7.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic FH8 and Panasonic GX7.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Panasonic FH8 is significantly lighter (279g ) than the Panasonic GX7 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on GX7, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH8 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, 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 Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Panasonic FH8 and Panasonic GX7's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.
On the other hand, Panasonic GX7 features a
Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels whereas the Panasonic FH8 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to GX7.