Panasonic G6 vs Sony A290
74 Imaging
52 Features
79 Overall
62


66 Imaging
53 Features
47 Overall
50
Panasonic G6 vs Sony A290 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 160 - 25600
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 390g - 122 x 85 x 71mm
- Revealed April 2013
- Earlier Model is Panasonic G5
- Successor is Panasonic G7
(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
- Revealed June 2010
- Succeeded the Sony A230

Panasonic G6 vs Sony A290 Overview
Following is a extensive assessment of the Panasonic G6 versus Sony A290, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the G6 (16MP) and the A290 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the G6 (Four Thirds) and A290 (APS-C) offer different sensor measurements.

The G6 was revealed 2 years after the A290 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic G6 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the G6 grades against the A290 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Panasonic G6 vs Sony A290 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic G6 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic G6 over the Sony A290
G6 | A290 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | April 2013 | ![]() | June 2010 | More modern by 35 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Screen resolution | 1036k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer screen (+806k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Panasonic G6
A290 | G6 |
---|
Common features in the Panasonic G6 and Sony A290
G6 | A290 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Very exact focus |
Panasonic G6 vs Sony A290 Physical Comparison
For those who are looking to carry around your camera, you'll need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic G6 has exterior dimensions of 122mm x 85mm x 71mm (4.8" x 3.3" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 390 grams (0.86 lbs) and 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 G6 versus Sony A290 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the G6 versus the A290.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the G6 and A290 is 74 and 66 respectively.

Panasonic G6 vs Sony A290 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it's difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizes just by seeing a spec sheet. The picture below should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the G6 and A290.
As you can see, both of those cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The G6 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh harder and the Panasonic G6 will show more detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots way more aggressively. The newer G6 should have a benefit in sensor tech.

Panasonic G6 vs Sony A290 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic G6 vs Sony A290 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Panasonic | Sony |
Model type | Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 |
Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Revealed | 2013-04-24 | 2010-06-09 |
Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 369.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 14 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4592 x 3056 |
Highest native ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
Min native ISO | 160 | 100 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Total focus points | 23 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Available lenses | 107 | 143 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of display | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
Display size | 3" | 2.7" |
Display resolution | 1,036k dots | 230k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Display tech | TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder resolution | 1,440k dots | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 95 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.7x | 0.55x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting rate | 7.0fps | 3.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 10.50 m | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/160 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 30, 25fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 50, 30, 25fps), 640 x 480 (30, 25fps | - |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video data format | MPEG-4, AVCHD | - |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 390 grams (0.86 pounds) | 549 grams (1.21 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 122 x 85 x 71mm (4.8" x 3.3" x 2.8") | 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 61 | 66 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.3 | 22.6 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.5 | 11.5 |
DXO Low light rating | 639 | 615 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 340 photographs | 290 photographs |
Battery style | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | NP-FH50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images)) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC |
Card slots | Single | Single |
Cost at launch | $750 | $600 |