Panasonic F5 vs Sony A390

The following is a thorough comparison of the Panasonic F5 versus Sony A390, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the F5 (14MP) and the A390 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the F5 (1/2.3") and A390 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The F5 was unveiled 2 years after the A390 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic F5 being a Compact camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a detailed comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the F5 grades versus the A390 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic F5 Gallery and Sony A390 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and volume. The Panasonic F5 has got exterior measurements of 97mm x 58mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs) whilst the Sony A390 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic F5 versus Sony A390 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilising at the time. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the F5 versus the A390.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the F5 and A390 is 96 and 66 respectively.

Usually, its tough to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by seeing a spec sheet. The image here should provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the F5 and A390.

As you can see, the 2 cameras enjoy the same exact resolution albeit not the same sensor dimensions. The F5 has the smaller sensor which will make getting shallower depth of field trickier. The younger F5 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.