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Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42

Portability
67
Imaging
62
Features
96
Overall
75
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 front
Portability
95
Imaging
33
Features
10
Overall
23

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 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
  • 580g - 134 x 91 x 69mm
  • Revealed February 2020
  • Replaced the Olympus E-M1 II
Panasonic FS42
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.5" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1000 (Expand to 6400)
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 33-132mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
  • 132g - 98 x 55 x 22mm
  • Announced April 2009
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42 Overview

Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap among the image resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and FS42 (1/2.5") use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M1 III was announced 10 years later than the FS42 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-M1 III grades versus the FS42 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 III over the Panasonic FS42

 E-M1 III FS42 
AnnouncedFebruary 2020April 2009More recent by 132 months
Manual focus More precise focus
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen sizing3"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Screen resolution1037k230kClearer screen (+807k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic FS42 over the Olympus E-M1 III

 FS42 E-M1 III 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 III and Panasonic FS42

 E-M1 III FS42 

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42 Physical Comparison

If you are going to lug around your camera often, you should factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 III offers exterior measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) and the Panasonic FS42 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the E-M1 III versus the FS42.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42 size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 III and FS42 is 67 and 95 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, its hard to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements purely by researching technical specs. The visual here will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 III and FS42.

As you have seen, both the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 III having a bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus E-M1 III will render greater detail with its extra 10MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The younger E-M1 III will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Portrait photography details
Panasonic FS42 Portrait photography details
77
has manual focus
good MP (20MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
has face detection focus
saves RAW files
19
manual focus not available
no manual exposure
can't use external flash
low resolution sensor (10 megapixels)
sensor size is very small (1/2.5")
lack of RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Street photography info
Panasonic FS42 Street photography info
78
fully articulated screen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
includes touch to focus
weather sealing
good high ISO (25,600)
47
fixed screen
lack of image stabilization
sensor size is very small (1/2.5")
lack of RAW files
maximum ISO low (1,000)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Sports photography details
Panasonic FS42 Sports photography details
81
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet shooting (1/32,000 seconds)
fast continuous shooting (60.0 frames/s)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (20MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
has tracking autofocus
weather sealing
has phase detect auto focus
16
slow fps (2.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
low resolution sensor (10MP)
sensor size is very small (1/2.5")
lack of phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Travel photography factors
Panasonic FS42 Travel photography factors
79
weather sealing
connects via bluetooth
includes touch to focus
good MP (20 megapixels)
screen is selfie friendly
51
built-in flash
no Time Lapse recording
low resolution sensor (10 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not good (33mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Landscape photography features
Panasonic FS42 Landscape photography features
81
has manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3")
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (20MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
doesnt have low pass filter
good high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW files
weather sealing
has dual storage slots
22
manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not good (33mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
small screen (2.5 inch)
no manual exposure
lack of image stabilization
low resolution sensor (10MP)
sensor size is very small (1/2.5")
maximum ISO low (1,000)
lack of RAW files
no Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III as a Vlogging camera
Panasonic FS42 as a Vlogging camera
79
screen is selfie friendly
touch screen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
has face detection focus
video res high (4096 x 2160 pixels)
has external mic jack
22
wide angle not good (33mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
video res low (640 x 480 pxls)
no mic jack
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic FS42 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 III and Panasonic FS42
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIIPanasonic Lumix DMC-FS42
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42
Class Pro Mirrorless Ultracompact
Revealed 2020-02-11 2009-04-17
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic IX -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.5"
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 5.744 x 4.308mm
Sensor surface area 226.2mm² 24.7mm²
Sensor resolution 20MP 10MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 5184 x 3888 3648 x 2736
Highest native ISO 25600 1000
Highest boosted ISO - 6400
Lowest native ISO 200 80
RAW images
Lowest boosted ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points 121 -
Cross focus points 121 -
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 33-132mm (4.0x)
Maximum aperture - f/2.8-5.9
Macro focus distance - 5cm
Total lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 6.3
Screen
Range of screen Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inch 2.5 inch
Screen 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
Lowest shutter speed 60s 60s
Highest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/2000s
Highest silent shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shooting speed 60.0fps 2.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range no built-in flash 6.30 m
Flash settings 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
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/250s -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 4096x2160 640x480
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 580g (1.28 lbs) 132g (0.29 lbs)
Dimensions 134 x 91 x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") 98 x 55 x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 420 photographs -
Battery format Battery Pack -
Battery model BLH-1 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage media Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II on first slot) SD/SDHC card, Internal
Storage slots Dual One
Pricing at launch $1,800 $580