Panasonic FP3 vs Sony A290
95 Imaging
36 Features
25 Overall
31
66 Imaging
54 Features
47 Overall
51
Panasonic FP3 vs Sony A290 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 35-140mm (F3.5-5.9) lens
- 155g - 99 x 59 x 19mm
- Released January 2010
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
- Released June 2010
- Superseded the Sony A230
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The following is a detailed assessment of the Panasonic FP3 and Sony A290, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the FP3 (14MP) and the A290 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the FP3 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) come with different sensor dimensions.
Photography GlossaryThe FP3 was unveiled 5 months prior to the A290 and they are of a similar age. The two cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FP3 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before we go in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the FP3 scores versus the A290 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic FP3 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic FP3 over the Sony A290
| FP3 | A290 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen sizing | 3" |  | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
| Touch friendly screen |  | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Panasonic FP3
| A290 | FP3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus |  | Dial exact focus |
Common features in the Panasonic FP3 and Sony A290
| FP3 | A290 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | January 2010 |  | June 2010 | Similar age |
| Screen type | Fixed |  | Fixed | Fixed screen |
| Screen resolution | 230k |  | 230k | Exact same screen resolution |
| Selfie screen |  | Lack of selfie screen |
Panasonic FP3 vs Sony A290 Physical Comparison
When you are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you'll need to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FP3 comes with external dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") and a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).
Contrast the Panasonic FP3 and Sony A290 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the FP3 against the A290.
Using size and weight, the portability score of the FP3 and A290 is 95 and 66 respectively.
Panasonic FP3 vs Sony A290 Sensor Comparison
Usually, it's hard to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions purely by checking specs. The image below should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the FP3 and A290.
All in all, the 2 cameras offer the same exact resolution albeit different sensor dimensions. The FP3 has the tinier sensor which should make obtaining shallow DOF more difficult.
Panasonic FP3 vs Sony A290 Screen and ViewFinder
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Panasonic FP3 vs Sony A290 Specifications
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Panasonic | Sony |
| Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 |
| Class | Ultracompact | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Released | 2010-01-06 | 2010-06-09 |
| Physical type | Ultracompact | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | Venus Engine IV | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
| Sensor area | 27.7mm² | 369.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 14 megapixels | 14 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 4320 x 3240 | 4592 x 3056 |
| Highest native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
| Min native ISO | 80 | 100 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Selective autofocus | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Autofocus live view | ||
| Face detection focus | ||
| Contract detection focus | ||
| Phase detection focus | ||
| Number of focus points | 9 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Lens focal range | 35-140mm (4.0x) | - |
| Maximal aperture | f/3.5-5.9 | - |
| Macro focus distance | 10cm | - |
| Number of lenses | - | 143 |
| Crop factor | 5.9 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen size | 3" | 2.7" |
| Screen resolution | 230 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.55x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
| Max shutter speed | 1/1600 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shutter rate | 5.0 frames per second | 3.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual mode | ||
| Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
| Change white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash range | 4.90 m | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | - | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | - |
| Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | None |
| Video format | Motion JPEG | - |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 155 grams (0.34 lb) | 549 grams (1.21 lb) |
| Dimensions | 99 x 59 x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") | 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | not tested | 66 |
| DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 22.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 11.5 |
| DXO Low light score | not tested | 615 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 290 pictures |
| Battery style | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | - | NP-FH50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Cost at release | $182 | $600 |