Panasonic LX3 vs Sony A450

On this page, we will be evaluating the Panasonic LX3 vs Sony A450, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the LX3 (10MP) and A450 (14MP) and the LX3 (1/1.63") and A450 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizes.

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The LX3 was revealed 14 months prior to the A450 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic LX3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A450 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the LX3 matches up against the A450 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A450. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic LX3 Gallery & Sony A450 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic LX3 comes with physical dimensions of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") along with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Sony A450 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 560 grams (1.23 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic LX3 vs Sony A450 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use at that moment. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the LX3 vs the A450.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the LX3 and A450 is 91 and 65 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to visualize the gap between sensor measurements just by checking a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the LX3 and A450.

As you can see, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The LX3 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony A450 will give extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older LX3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.