Panasonic LF1 vs Sony A55

Below, we are comparing the Panasonic LF1 and Sony A55, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the LF1 (12MP) and A55 (16MP) and the LF1 (1/1.7") and A55 (APS-C) feature different sensor dimensions.

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The LF1 was introduced 3 years later than the A55 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic LF1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting in to a complete comparison, below is a short introduction of how the LF1 scores vs the A55 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 & Sony SLT-A55. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic LF1 Gallery & Sony A55 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera often, you have to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic LF1 offers external measurements of 103mm x 62mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 192 grams (0.42 lbs) and the Sony A55 has proportions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic LF1 and Sony A55 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you select at the time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the LF1 and the A55.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the LF1 and A55 is 92 and 67 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to picture the gap in sensor sizing purely by going through specs. The visual here might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the LF1 and A55.

All in all, each of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The LF1 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony A55 will provide more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more recent LF1 provides a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.