Panasonic G5 vs Sony A290

Lets look closer at the Panasonic G5 versus Sony A290, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the G5 (16MP) and the A290 (14MP) is fairly close but the G5 (Four Thirds) and A290 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The G5 was revealed 2 years later than the A290 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic G5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a complete comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the G5 matches up against the A290 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are available at Panasonic G5 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic G5 has outside measurements of 120mm x 83mm x 71mm (4.7" x 3.3" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 396 grams (0.87 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).

Take a look at the Panasonic G5 versus Sony A290 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the G5 and the A290.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the G5 and A290 is 74 and 66 respectively.

Quite often, it can be tough to see the contrast in sensor measurements only by researching technical specs. The visual here may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the G5 and A290.

As you can tell, both of those cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The G5 having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Panasonic G5 will result in more detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more recent G5 will have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.