Panasonic LX5 vs Sony H90
88 Imaging
35 Features
44 Overall
38


91 Imaging
39 Features
35 Overall
37
Panasonic LX5 vs Sony H90 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/1.63" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 12800
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 24-90mm (F2.0-3.3) lens
- 271g - 110 x 65 x 43mm
- Revealed December 2011
- Succeeded the Panasonic LX3
- Successor is Panasonic LX7
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 24-384mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
- 222g - 105 x 60 x 34mm
- Revealed February 2012

Panasonic LX5 vs Sony H90 Overview
In this write-up, we will be comparing the Panasonic LX5 vs Sony H90, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the resolutions of the LX5 (10MP) and H90 (16MP) and the LX5 (1/1.63") and H90 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

The LX5 was released 2 months before the H90 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before delving straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a short highlight of how the LX5 grades against the H90 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Panasonic LX5 vs Sony H90 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H90. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic LX5 Gallery & Sony H90 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic LX5 over the Sony H90
LX5 | H90 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very exact focusing |
Reasons to pick Sony H90 over the Panasonic LX5
H90 | LX5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen resolution | 461k | ![]() | 460k | Crisper screen (+1k dot) |
Common features in the Panasonic LX5 and Sony H90
LX5 | H90 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | December 2011 | ![]() | February 2012 | Similar age |
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent screen sizing |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither contains selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Neither contains Touch friendly screen |
Panasonic LX5 vs Sony H90 Physical Comparison
In case you're intending to carry your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic LX5 has got outer dimensions of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) whilst the Sony H90 has specifications of 105mm x 60mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 222 grams (0.49 lbs).
Analyze the Panasonic LX5 vs Sony H90 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose during that time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the LX5 compared to the H90.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the LX5 and H90 is 88 and 91 respectively.

Panasonic LX5 vs Sony H90 Sensor Comparison
Typically, its hard to visualize the gap between sensor sizing just by reading through a spec sheet. The visual below will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the LX5 and H90.
As you can see, both the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The LX5 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh simpler and the Sony H90 will resolve extra detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots far more aggressively.

Panasonic LX5 vs Sony H90 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic LX5 vs Sony H90 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H90 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Panasonic | Sony |
Model type | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H90 |
Class | Small Sensor Compact | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Revealed | 2011-12-15 | 2012-02-28 |
Physical type | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Venus Engine FHD | BIONZ |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/1.63" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 8.07 x 5.56mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 44.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4608 x 3456 |
Maximum native ISO | 12800 | 3200 |
Minimum native ISO | 80 | 80 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 23 | - |
Cross type focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 24-90mm (3.8x) | 24-384mm (16.0x) |
Highest aperture | f/2.0-3.3 | f/3.3-5.9 |
Macro focusing range | 1cm | 5cm |
Crop factor | 4.5 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display size | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of display | 460k dots | 461k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Display technology | - | ClearPhoto TFT LCD display |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/1600s |
Continuous shooting rate | 3.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 7.20 m | 3.70 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
Video format | AVCHD Lite | MPEG-4 |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
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 sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 271g (0.60 pounds) | 222g (0.49 pounds) |
Dimensions | 110 x 65 x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") | 105 x 60 x 34mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 41 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 19.6 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.8 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 132 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 290 pictures |
Battery type | - | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | NP-BG1 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail pricing | $294 | $230 |