Panasonic FP1 vs Sony A290

Lets look much closer at the Panasonic FP1 versus Sony A290, one is a Ultracompact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the FP1 (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is relatively well matched but the FP1 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizes.

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The FP1 was unveiled 5 months prior to the A290 so they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FP1 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going right into a in depth comparison, here is a quick overview of how the FP1 scores vs the A290 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FP1 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic FP1 offers outside dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") along with a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs) and the Sony A290 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic FP1 versus Sony A290 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the FP1 vs the A290.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the FP1 and A290 is 95 and 66 respectively.

Often, it is very difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes simply by looking at a spec sheet. The picture below should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the FP1 and A290.

As you can see, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The FP1 having a tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh trickier and the Sony A290 will resolve extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively.