Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290
89 Imaging
48 Features
54 Overall
50


66 Imaging
53 Features
47 Overall
50
Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 160 - 12800
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 267g - 108 x 67 x 37mm
- Released April 2012
- Superseded the Panasonic GF3
- Renewed by Panasonic GF6
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
- Revealed June 2010
- Superseded the Sony A230

Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 Overview
Below, we are analyzing the Panasonic GF5 and Sony A290, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the GF5 (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is very well matched but the GF5 (Four Thirds) and A290 (APS-C) feature different sensor dimensions.

The GF5 was brought out 23 months after the A290 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before we go in to a full comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the GF5 scores vs the A290 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic GF5 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic GF5 over the Sony A290
GF5 | A290 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | April 2012 | ![]() | June 2010 | More modern by 23 months |
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 920k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+690k dot) |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Panasonic GF5
A290 | GF5 |
---|
Common features in the Panasonic GF5 and Sony A290
GF5 | A290 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | More precise focusing | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | No selfie screen |
Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 Physical Comparison
In case you're aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic GF5 features exterior dimensions of 108mm x 67mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 267 grams (0.59 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).
Examine the Panasonic GF5 and Sony A290 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have during that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the GF5 against the A290.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the GF5 and A290 is 89 and 66 respectively.

Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it is tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes just by reading through a spec sheet. The image here might offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the GF5 and A290.
Clearly, the 2 cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The GF5 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Sony A290 will resolve more detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images much more aggressively. The younger GF5 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.

Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Panasonic | Sony |
Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Released | 2012-04-05 | 2010-06-09 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Venus Engine FHD | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 369.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12MP | 14MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4592 x 3056 |
Maximum native ISO | 12800 | 3200 |
Min native ISO | 160 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 23 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Amount of lenses | 107 | 143 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen diagonal | 3" | 2.7" |
Screen resolution | 920k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Screen technology | TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.55x |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 4.0fps | 3.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | 6.30 m | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/160 secs | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60, 50 fps), 1280 x 720p (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | - |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video format | MPEG-4, AVCHD | - |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
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 seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 267g (0.59 pounds) | 549g (1.21 pounds) |
Dimensions | 108 x 67 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") | 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | 50 | 66 |
DXO Color Depth score | 20.5 | 22.6 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.0 | 11.5 |
DXO Low light score | 573 | 615 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 photos | 290 photos |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | - | NP-FH50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images)) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Pricing at release | $600 | $600 |