Panasonic GH5S vs Sony W290

Here is a extended review of the Panasonic GH5S and Sony W290, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the GH5S (10MP) and the W290 (12MP) is pretty similar but the GH5S (Four Thirds) and W290 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The GH5S was announced 9 years later than the W290 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GH5S being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W290 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a detailed comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the GH5S scores versus the W290 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH5S Gallery and Sony W290 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic GH5S features physical measurements of 139mm x 98mm x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs) and the Sony W290 has measurements of 98mm x 57mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic GH5S and Sony W290 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the GH5S and the W290.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GH5S and W290 is 62 and 94 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizing just by going over a spec sheet. The visual below may give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the GH5S and W290.

As you can see, both of those cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The GH5S using its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Sony W290 will deliver greater detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures way more aggressively. The more modern GH5S will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.