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Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FS12

Portability
68
Imaging
59
Features
93
Overall
72
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 front
Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
14
Overall
26

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FS12 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 574g - 134 x 91 x 67mm
  • Introduced September 2016
  • Superseded the Olympus E-M1
  • Successor is Olympus E-M1 III
Panasonic FS12
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600 (Increase to 6400)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 31-124mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
  • 129g - 97 x 55 x 22mm
  • Launched April 2009
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FS12 Overview

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic FS12, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and FS12 (12MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and FS12 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

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The E-M1 II was unveiled 7 years later than the FS12 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving right into a in depth comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-M1 II grades versus the FS12 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Panasonic FS12

 E-M1 II FS12 
LaunchedSeptember 2016April 2009More recent by 91 months
Manually focus Very precise focus
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen dimensions3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1037k230kClearer screen (+807k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic FS12 over the Olympus E-M1 II

 FS12 E-M1 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic FS12

 E-M1 II FS12 

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FS12 Physical Comparison

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 II features physical measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") along with a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) while the Panasonic FS12 has specifications of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic FS12 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at that moment. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-M1 II compared to the FS12.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FS12 size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 II and FS12 is 68 and 95 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FS12 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FS12 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it is very hard to imagine the difference between sensor measurements simply by going over technical specs. The photograph here will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 II and FS12.

As you have seen, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 II using its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus E-M1 II will deliver extra detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The more recent E-M1 II provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FS12 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FS12 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FS12 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Portrait photography with Panasonic FS12
75
manual focus
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
features face detection autofocus
exports RAW formats
21
lack of manual focus
lack of manual exposure
external flash not possible
megapixel count low (12MP)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Street photography with Panasonic FS12
78
screen can move to multiple angles
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
supports focus via touch
weather proofing
lighter than competition (574g)
good ISO range (25,600)
57
built in image stabilization (Optical)
screen does not articulate
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Sports photography highlights
Panasonic FS12 Sports photography highlights
74
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
silent mode (1/32,000s)
max frames per second high (60.0 frames per second)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (20MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
features tracking autofocus
weather proofing
supports phase detect autofocus
not so great battery power (350 shots)
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
continuous shooting slow (2.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
megapixel count low (12MP)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Travel photography details
Panasonic FS12 Travel photography details
72
lighter than competition (574 grams)
weather proofing
supports focus via touch
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
selfie friendly display
not so great battery power (350 shots)
51
built-in flash
lack of Time Lapse mode
megapixel count low (12MP)
display is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (31mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Landscape photography information
Panasonic FS12 Landscape photography information
76
manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
no low pass filter
good ISO range (25,600)
exports RAW formats
weather proofing
has dual storage slots
not so great battery power (350 CIPA)
28
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lack of manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (31mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
small screen (2.7")
lack of manual exposure
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
lack of Time Lapse mode
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Vlogging info
Panasonic FS12 Vlogging info
79
selfie friendly display
touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
features face detection autofocus
high quality video (4096 x 2160 resolution)
comes with external mic jack
lighter than competition (574g)
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not the best (31mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
display is not selfie friendly
video res low (640 x 480 pxls)
lack of mic jack
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FS12 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic FS12
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIPanasonic Lumix DMC-FS12
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12
Class Pro Mirrorless Ultracompact
Introduced 2016-09-19 2009-04-17
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VIII -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 226.2mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 5184 x 3888 4000 x 3000
Max native ISO 25600 1600
Max enhanced ISO - 6400
Min native ISO 200 80
RAW pictures
Min enhanced ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 121 -
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 31-124mm (4.0x)
Max aperture - f/2.8-5.9
Macro focusing distance - 5cm
Available lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.9
Screen
Range of display Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display size 3 inch 2.7 inch
Display resolution 1,037 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Min shutter speed 60s 60s
Max shutter speed 1/8000s 1/2000s
Max quiet shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shutter speed 60.0fps 2.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 9.10 m (at ISO 100) 6.30 m
Flash modes Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash sync 1/250s -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM, 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 4096x2160 640x480
Video format MOV, H.264 Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 574 grams (1.27 lbs) 129 grams (0.28 lbs)
Physical dimensions 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") 97 x 55 x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 80 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.7 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.8 not tested
DXO Low light rating 1312 not tested
Other
Battery life 350 photos -
Type of battery Battery Pack -
Battery ID BLH-1 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots SD/SDHC card, Internal
Storage slots Dual Single
Price at release $1,700 $228