Nikon D3500 vs Panasonic FS42

Below is a detailed overview of the Nikon D3500 and Panasonic FS42, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact by brands Nikon and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the D3500 (24MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the D3500 (APS-C) and FS42 (1/2.5") have different sensor dimensions.

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The D3500 was released 9 years later than the FS42 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Nikon D3500 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a simple summary of how the D3500 scores versus the FS42 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon D3500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The complete galleries are viewable at Nikon D3500 Gallery and Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera often, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Nikon D3500 comes with outer dimensions of 124mm x 97mm x 70mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 365 grams (0.80 lbs) and the Panasonic FS42 has measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Take a look at the Nikon D3500 and Panasonic FS42 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Here is a front view size comparison of the D3500 and the FS42.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the D3500 and FS42 is 72 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements purely by seeing technical specs. The visual underneath should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the D3500 and FS42.

As you have seen, both cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The D3500 because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Nikon D3500 will provide extra detail as a result of its extra 14MP. Greater resolution will help you crop photos more aggressively. The newer D3500 provides a benefit with regard to sensor technology.