Panasonic GF1 vs Sony A290

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Panasonic GF1 vs Sony A290, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the GF1 (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is relatively well matched but the GF1 (Four Thirds) and A290 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The GF1 was brought out 7 months before the A290 which means that they are both of a similar age. The two cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GF1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving through a detailed comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the GF1 scores vs the A290 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic GF1 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GF1 offers external measurements of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") along with a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic GF1 vs Sony A290 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the GF1 compared to the A290.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the GF1 and A290 is 85 and 66 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizing only by checking technical specs. The photograph here may give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the GF1 and A290.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The GF1 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Sony A290 will give you more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots far more aggressively. The older GF1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.