Panasonic LX5 vs Sony A290

Lets look much closer at the Panasonic LX5 vs Sony A290, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the LX5 (10MP) and A290 (14MP) and the LX5 (1/1.63") and A290 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The LX5 was unveiled 19 months later than the A290 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic LX5 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a short summary of how the LX5 grades versus the A290 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are available at Panasonic LX5 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic LX5 provides external dimensions of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Sony A290 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Panasonic LX5 vs Sony A290 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the LX5 compared to the A290.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the LX5 and A290 is 88 and 66 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements only by seeing technical specs. The photograph below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the LX5 and A290.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The LX5 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony A290 will provide extra detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The more modern LX5 will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.