Panasonic G9 vs Sony A850

In this write-up, we are matching up the Panasonic G9 and Sony A850, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the G9 (20MP) and the A850 (25MP) is very similar but the G9 (Four Thirds) and A850 (Full frame) come with different sensor sizes.

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The G9 was announced 7 years later than the A850 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic G9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight into a in depth comparison, below is a brief overview of how the G9 grades vs the A850 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic G9 Gallery & Sony A850 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera, you will have to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic G9 offers outer dimensions of 137mm x 97mm x 92mm (5.4" x 3.8" x 3.6") having a weight of 658 grams (1.45 lbs) while the Sony A850 has measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") along with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic G9 and Sony A850 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at that time. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the G9 and the A850.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the G9 and A850 is 62 and 54 respectively.

Often, its hard to visualize the difference between sensor measurements simply by reading specs. The visual below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the G9 and A850.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The G9 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A850 will offer you greater detail with its extra 5MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos far more aggressively. The fresher G9 provides a benefit with regard to sensor tech.