Panasonic FP7 vs Sony A290

Below is a comprehensive assessment of the Panasonic FP7 versus Sony A290, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the FP7 (16MP) and the A290 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the FP7 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) come with different sensor size.

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The FP7 was unveiled 7 months later than the A290 so they are both of a similar generation. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FP7 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving in to a complete comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the FP7 scores vs the A290 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP7 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FP7 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera often, you should think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FP7 provides outside measurements of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") along with a weight of 147 grams (0.32 lbs) while the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FP7 versus Sony A290 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the FP7 versus the A290.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the FP7 and A290 is 95 and 66 respectively.

Usually, it is tough to picture the contrast between sensor measurements merely by looking at specifications. The graphic underneath will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the FP7 and A290.

To sum up, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FP7 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Panasonic FP7 will give greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more recent FP7 provides an advantage with regard to sensor technology.