Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic FS12

Following is a in depth review of the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic FS12, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and FS12 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and FS12 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was manufactured 4 years prior to the FS12 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a quick summary of how the E-500 grades versus the FS12 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-500 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Panasonic FS12 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera regularly, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-500 provides external dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Panasonic FS12 has measurements of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic FS12 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-500 against the FS12.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and FS12 is 70 and 95 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizes only by going through specifications. The image underneath may give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and FS12.

To sum up, both of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-500 due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic FS12 will provide extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images more aggressively. The more aged E-500 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.