Panasonic S5 vs Sony A290

Here, we are matching up the Panasonic S5 and Sony A290, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the S5 (24MP) and A290 (14MP) and the S5 (Full frame) and A290 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The S5 was brought out 10 years later than the A290 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a concise summation of how the S5 scores against the A290 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic S5 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera often, you'll have to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic S5 has physical dimensions of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs) while the Sony A290 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") having a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic S5 and Sony A290 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the S5 against the A290.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the S5 and A290 is 60 and 66 respectively.

In many cases, it is tough to visualise the difference between sensor measurements merely by looking at technical specs. The photograph below might offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the S5 and A290.

As you have seen, both of those cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The S5 due to its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic S5 will give extra detail having its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos way more aggressively. The more recent S5 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.