Panasonic FT7 vs Canon 1300D

The Panasonic Lumix DC-FT7 (called Panasonic TS7 in some regions) and the Canon EOS 1300D (labelled Canon T6 in some countries) are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in May 2018 and March 2016. The FT7 is a fixed lens compact, while the 1300D is a DSLR. The cameras are based on a 1/2.3-inch (FT7) and an APS-C (1300D) sensor. The Panasonic has a resolution of 20.2 megapixels, whereas the Canon provides 17.9 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Panasonic FT7		Canon 1300D
Fixed lens compact camera		Digital single lens reflex
28-128mm f/3.3-5.9		Canon EF mount lenses
20.2 MP – 1/2.3" sensor		17.9 MP – APS-C sensor
4K/30p Video		1080/30p Video
ISO 80-3,200 (80 - 6,400)		ISO 100-6,400 (100 - 12,800)
Electronic viewfinder (1170k dots)		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 920k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
10 shutter flaps per second		3 shutter flaps per second
Waterproof body (31m)		not weather sealed
300 shots per battery charge		500 shots per battery charge
117 x 76 x 37 mm, 319 g		129 x 101 x 78 mm, 485 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Panasonic Lumix DC-FT7 and the Canon EOS 1300D? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Panasonic FT7 and the Canon 1300D. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The FT7 can be obtained in three different colors (black, blue, orange), while the 1300D is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 1300D is considerably larger (47 percent) than the Panasonic FT7. It is worth mentioning in this context that the FT7 is splash and dust resistant, while the 1300D does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing. More than that, the FT7 is water-proof up to 31m and can, thus, be used for underwater photography.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the FT7 has a lens built in, whereas the 1300D is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the 1300D and their specifications in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the FT7 gets 300 shots out of its Panasonic DMW-BCM13 battery, while the 1300D can take 500 images on a single charge of its Canon LP-E10 power pack. The power pack in the FT7 can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

#		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Panasonic FT7	117 mm	76 mm	37 mm	319 g	300	Y	May 2018	449	ebay.com
2.		Canon 1300D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	485 g	500	n	Mar 2016	449	ebay.com
3.		Canon 2000D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
4.		Canon SX740	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	299 g	265	n	Jul 2018	399	amazon.com
5.		Canon G1 X Mark III	115 mm	78 mm	51 mm	399 g	200	Y	Oct 2017	1,299	ebay.com
6.		Canon SX730	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	300 g	250	n	Apr 2017	399	ebay.com
7.		Canon M10	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	301 g	255	n	Oct 2015	499	ebay.com
8.		Canon 1200D	130 mm	100 mm	78 mm	480 g	500	n	Feb 2014	449	ebay.com
9.		Canon 100D	117 mm	91 mm	69 mm	407 g	380	n	Mar 2013	549	ebay.com
10.		Canon 700D	133 mm	100 mm	79 mm	580 g	440	n	Mar 2013	649	ebay.com
11.		Fujifilm X-A5	117 mm	68 mm	40 mm	361 g	450	n	Jan 2018	399	ebay.com
12.		Fujifilm XF10	113 mm	64 mm	41 mm	279 g	330	n	Jul 2018	499	ebay.com
13.		Nikon W300	112 mm	66 mm	29 mm	231 g	280	Y	May 2017	389	ebay.com
14.		Panasonic TZ95	112 mm	69 mm	42 mm	327 g	380	n	Feb 2019	449	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic TZ90	112 mm	67 mm	41 mm	322 g	380	n	Apr 2017	449	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic FZ82	130 mm	94 mm	119 mm	616 g	330	n	Jan 2017	399	amazon.com
17.		Ricoh WG-6	118 mm	66 mm	33 mm	246 g	340	Y	Feb 2019	399	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Panasonic FT7 features a 1/2.3-inch sensor and the Canon 1300D an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the 1300D is 1086 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 5.6 and 1.6. The sensor in the FT7 has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the 1300D offers a 3:2 aspect.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the Panasonic FT7 offers a higher resolution of 20.2 megapixels, compared with 17.9 MP of the Canon 1300D. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 1.18μm versus 4.31μm for the 1300D). However, it should be noted that the FT7 is much more recent (by 2 years and 2 months) than the 1300D, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.

The Panasonic Lumix DC-FT7 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 80 to ISO 3200, which can be extended to ISO 80-6400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS 1300D are ISO 100 to ISO 6400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-12800.

In terms of underlying technology, the FT7 is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the 1300D uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Panasonic FT7	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1028	51
2.		Canon 1300D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	781	66
3.		Canon 2000D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	11.9	1009	71
4.		Canon SX740	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1050	51
5.		Canon G1 X Mark III	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	13.2	1649	81
6.		Canon SX730	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.5	11.9	924	50
7.		Canon M10	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.2	11.4	753	65
8.		Canon 1200D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.3	724	63
9.		Canon 100D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.8	11.3	843	63
10.		Canon 700D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.7	11.2	681	61
11.		Fujifilm X-A5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/15p	24.0	13.3	1800	82
12.		Fujifilm XF10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/15p	24.0	13.4	1844	83
13.		Nikon W300	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.5	12.0	938	50
14.		Panasonic TZ95	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1103	52
15.		Panasonic TZ90	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	19.1	10.6	106	36
16.		Panasonic FZ82	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.5	11.9	900	49
17.		Ricoh WG-6	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1104	52
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the FT7 provides a higher video resolution than the 1300D. It can shoot video footage at 4K/30p, while the Canon is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the FT7 has an electronic viewfinder (1170k dots), while the 1300D has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the FT7 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the 1300D (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. On the other hand, the viewfinder of the 1300D has a higher magnification (0.50x vs 0.45x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Panasonic FT7, the Canon 1300D, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

#		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Panasonic FT7	1170	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/1300s	10.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Canon 1300D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 2000D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon SX740	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	10.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Canon G1 X Mark III	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/2000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Canon SX730	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	5.9/s	Y	Y
7.		Canon M10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.6/s	Y	n
8.		Canon 1200D	optical	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon 100D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.9/s	Y	n
10.		Canon 700D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Fujifilm X-A5	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
12.		Fujifilm XF10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
13.		Nikon W300	none	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
14.		Panasonic TZ95	2330	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Panasonic TZ90	1166	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Panasonic FZ82	1166	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Ricoh WG-6	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	1.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the FT7 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the FT7 and the 1300D write their files to SDXC cards. The FT7 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the 1300D cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Panasonic Lumix DC-FT7 and Canon EOS 1300D and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

#		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Panasonic FT7	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Canon 1300D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon 2000D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon SX740	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Canon G1 X Mark III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Canon SX730	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Canon M10	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Canon 1200D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Canon 100D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Canon 700D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Fujifilm X-A5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
12.		Fujifilm XF10	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
13.		Nikon W300	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
14.		Panasonic TZ95	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
15.		Panasonic TZ90	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
16.		Panasonic FZ82	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
17.		Ricoh WG-6	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	3.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the 1300D has a hotshoe, which makes it possible to easily attach optional accessories, such as an external flash gun. The FT7 does not feature such an accessory-socket.

Both the FT7 and the 1300D have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The 1300D was replaced by the Canon 2000D, while the FT7 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the FT7 and 1300D can be found, respectively, in the Panasonic FT7 Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon 1300D Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Which of the two cameras – the Panasonic FT7 or the Canon 1300D – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Panasonic Lumix DC-FT7:

• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/30p).
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 920k dots).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (10 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Ready to shoot: Comes with a built-in lens, while the 1300D requires a separate lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (117x76mm vs 129x101mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter even though it comes with a built-in lens (unlike the 1300D).
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
• Water-proof: Is rugged and sealed and can thus be used for underwater photography (up to 31m).
• Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
• More modern: Reflects 2 years and 2 months of technical progress since the 1300D launch.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 1300D:

• Better image quality: Features bigger pixels on a larger sensor for higher quality imaging.
• Richer colors: The pixel size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger pixels capture a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger pixels means good image quality even under poor lighting.
• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.50x vs 0.45x).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/4000s vs 1/1300s) to freeze action.
• More flexible: Makes it possible to change lenses and thus to use specialty optics.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (500 versus 300) out of a single battery charge.
• Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in March 2016).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the FT7 emerges as the winner of the contest (15 : 12 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Panasonic FT7 and the Canon 1300D place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Travel-Zoom Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the FT7 or the 1300D. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

#		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Panasonic FT7	..	+	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	May 2018	449	ebay.com
2.		Canon 1300D	4/5	o	4/5	73/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2016	449	ebay.com
3.		Canon 2000D	3/5	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
4.		Canon SX740	..	+	3.5/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2018	399	amazon.com
5.		Canon G1 X Mark III	5/5	+	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2017	1,299	ebay.com
6.		Canon SX730	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	399	ebay.com
7.		Canon M10	..	..	..	..	..	4/5	Oct 2015	499	ebay.com
8.		Canon 1200D	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2014	449	ebay.com
9.		Canon 100D	4/5	+	..	78/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2013	549	ebay.com
10.		Canon 700D	..	..	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2013	649	ebay.com
11.		Fujifilm X-A5	..	+	4.1/5	..	4/5	3.5/5	Jan 2018	399	ebay.com
12.		Fujifilm XF10	..	..	4/5	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2018	499	ebay.com
13.		Nikon W300	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	May 2017	389	ebay.com
14.		Panasonic TZ95	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	..	Feb 2019	449	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic TZ90	..	+ +	4/5	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	449	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic FZ82	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	399	amazon.com
17.		Ricoh WG-6	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2019	399	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

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