Clicky

Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290

Portability
89
Imaging
48
Features
54
Overall
50
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 front
Portability
66
Imaging
53
Features
47
Overall
50

Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 Key Specs

Panasonic GF5
(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  • Superseded the Panasonic GF3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
Sony A290
(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  • Superseded the Sony A230
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

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.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

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.

Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

        

Reasons to pick Panasonic GF5 over the Sony A290

 GF5 A290 
RevealedApril 2012June 2010More modern by 23 months
Display dimension3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution920k230kSharper 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 typeFixed 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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 size comparison

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

Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 top view buttons comparison

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 sensor size comparison

Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Panasonic GF5
Portrait photography with Sony A290
55
focusing manually
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
offers face detection focusing
exports RAW files
no external flash support
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
65
has manual focus
MP count decent (14MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
features face detection focusing
supports RAW files
no liveview
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Street Comparison

Panasonic GF5 Street photography features
Sony A290 Street photography features
70
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
provides focus via touch
no articulating screen
does not have image stabilization
66
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
supports RAW files
screen is fixed
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Sports Comparison

Panasonic GF5 Sports photography advice
Sony A290 Sports photography advice
40
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
offers tracking autofocus
max fps low (4.0 frames/s)
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12MP)
lacks phase detect AF
55
image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count decent (14 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
comes with phase detect AF
no liveview
low fps (3.0 fps)
terrible battery pack (290 shots)
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Travel Comparison

Panasonic GF5 Travel photography advice
Sony A290 Travel photography advice
61
provides focus via touch
has built in flash
lack of Time Lapse mode
sensor resolution low (12MP)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
53
MP count decent (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
missing Time Lapse function
terrible battery pack (290 shots)
screen isn't selfie friendly
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Panasonic GF5
Landscape photography with Sony A290
59
focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inches)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
lack of Time Lapse mode
57
has manual focus
change lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count decent (14 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
supports RAW files
tiny screen (2.7")
no liveview
terrible battery pack (290 CIPA)
missing Time Lapse function
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic GF5 Vlogging factors
Sony A290 Vlogging factors
32
touchscreen enabled
offers face detection focusing
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
does not have image stabilization
lack of external mic port
9
no video shooting
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Panasonic GF5 vs Sony A290 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic GF5 and Sony A290
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5Sony 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