Panasonic L1 vs Pentax W90

Here is a extensive analysis of the Panasonic L1 and Pentax W90, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Waterproof by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the L1 (7MP) and W90 (12MP) and the L1 (Four Thirds) and W90 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The L1 was brought out 3 years before the W90 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic L1 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax W90 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise summary of how the L1 matches up against the W90 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 & Pentax Optio W90. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic L1 Gallery & Pentax W90 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera regularly, you will need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic L1 enjoys exterior dimensions of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") having a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs) while the Pentax W90 has measurements of 108mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") along with a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic L1 and Pentax W90 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the L1 compared to the W90.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the L1 and W90 is 65 and 94 respectively.

More often than not, it can be tough to imagine the difference in sensor sizing purely by researching specs. The visual below should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the L1 and W90.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The L1 due to its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Pentax W90 will provide you with more detail having its extra 5 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older L1 will be behind in sensor tech.