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 Sony A350 and Panasonic FH7 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A350 has external dimensions of 131 x 99 x 75 mm (5.16 x 3.9 x 2.95″) and weighs 674 g (1.49 lb / 23.77 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic FH7 has external dimensions of 95 x 56 x 19 mm (3.74 x 2.2 x 0.75″) and weighs 126 g (0.28 lb / 4.44 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Sony A350 and the Panasonic FH7. Panasonic FH7 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 36mm narrower, 43mm shorter and 56mm thinner than Sony A350. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic FH7 has a built-in lens but Sony A350 doesn't. Once you put a lens on A350, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Sony A350 and Panasonic FH7.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Panasonic FH7 is significantly lighter (548g ) than the Sony A350 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 A350, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither the Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7 (Lumix DMC-FS22) 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 DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Panasonic FH7's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony A350's 2.7" screen.
On the other hand, Sony A350 LCD screen has a
Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels. On the other hand, Panasonic FH7 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A350.