Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic FS42
77 Imaging
45 Features
36 Overall
41


95 Imaging
33 Features
10 Overall
23
Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic FS42 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 1600
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 426g - 130 x 91 x 53mm
- Announced March 2009
- Replaced the Olympus E-330
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.5" Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1000 (Raise to 6400)
- 640 x 480 video
- 33-132mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
- 132g - 98 x 55 x 22mm
- Revealed April 2009

Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic FS42 Overview
Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic FS42, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-450 (10MP) and the FS42 (10MP) is pretty close but the E-450 (Four Thirds) and FS42 (1/2.5") have different sensor measurements.

The E-450 was launched about the same time to the FS42 so they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-450 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.
Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a short view of how the E-450 grades versus the FS42 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic FS42 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-450 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-450 Gallery and Panasonic FS42 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-450 over the Panasonic FS42
E-450 | FS42 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | More accurate focusing | ||
Screen size | 2.7" | ![]() | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.2") |
Reasons to pick Panasonic FS42 over the Olympus E-450
FS42 | E-450 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-450 and Panasonic FS42
E-450 | FS42 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | March 2009 | ![]() | April 2009 | Same generation |
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Identical screen resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither comes with selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Neither comes with Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic FS42 Physical Comparison
In case you're looking to travel with your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-450 comes with exterior dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic FS42 has measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic FS42 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the E-450 and the FS42.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-450 and FS42 is 77 and 95 respectively.

Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic FS42 Sensor Comparison
Usually, its hard to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions just by looking through a spec sheet. The picture here might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-450 and FS42.
As you can see, both the cameras come with the identical resolution albeit different sensor dimensions. The E-450 has the bigger sensor which will make getting bokeh less difficult.

Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic FS42 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic FS42 Specifications
Olympus E-450 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model type | Olympus E-450 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 |
Category | Entry-Level DSLR | Ultracompact |
Announced | 2009-03-31 | 2009-04-17 |
Body design | Compact SLR | Ultracompact |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic III | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.5" |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 5.744 x 4.308mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 24.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10 megapixels | 10 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 3648 x 2736 |
Highest native ISO | 1600 | 1000 |
Highest boosted ISO | - | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 80 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Total focus points | 3 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
Largest aperture | - | f/2.8-5.9 |
Macro focusing range | - | 5cm |
Number of lenses | 45 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 6.3 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen diagonal | 2.7 inch | 2.5 inch |
Screen resolution | 230 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | None |
Viewfinder coverage | 95% | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | - |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 60 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/2000 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 4.0 frames/s | 2.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | 6.30 m |
Flash modes | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/180 seconds | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | - | 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | None | 640x480 |
Video file format | - | Motion JPEG |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
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 seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 426 gr (0.94 lb) | 132 gr (0.29 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 130 x 91 x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") | 98 x 55 x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 56 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.5 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.5 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 512 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 500 photographs | - |
Battery format | Battery Pack | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC card, Internal |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Price at launch | $138 | $580 |