Panasonic ZR3 vs Sony A290

Following is a detailed assessment of the Panasonic ZR3 versus Sony A290, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the ZR3 (14MP) and the A290 (14MP) is relatively close but the ZR3 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizes.

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The ZR3 was brought out 4 months earlier than the A290 so they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZR3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the ZR3 matches up against the A290 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZR3 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera regularly, you'll have to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZR3 comes with external dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Sony A290 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZR3 versus Sony A290 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose during that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the ZR3 and the A290.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the ZR3 and A290 is 94 and 66 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to picture the gap in sensor sizes purely by researching specs. The pic underneath might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZR3 and A290.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras feature the identical resolution albeit different sensor sizes. The ZR3 includes the smaller sensor which should make getting shallow DOF trickier.