Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic FS42
71 Imaging
52 Features
85 Overall
65
95 Imaging
32 Features
10 Overall
23
Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic FS42 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 497g - 130 x 94 x 63mm
- Released October 2013
- Replacement is Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.5" Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 1000 (Boost to 6400)
- 640 x 480 video
- 33-132mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
- 132g - 98 x 55 x 22mm
- Introduced April 2009
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Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic FS42, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and FS42 (1/2.5") have different sensor sizes.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe E-M1 was launched 4 years later than the FS42 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.
Before going into a full comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-M1 grades versus the FS42 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic FS42 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Panasonic FS42
| E-M1 | FS42 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | October 2013 | April 2009 | More recent by 56 months | |
| Manual focus | More accurate focusing | |||
| Display type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting display | |
| Display size | 3" | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") | |
| Display resolution | 1037k | 230k | Clearer display (+807k dot) | |
| Touch friendly display | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Panasonic FS42 over the Olympus E-M1
| FS42 | E-M1 |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic FS42
| E-M1 | FS42 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selfie screen | Neither features selfie screen |
Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic FS42 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you should take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 enjoys outside dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") and a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Panasonic FS42 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).
Examine the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic FS42 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-M1 against the FS42.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and FS42 is 71 and 95 respectively.
Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic FS42 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it is very tough to picture the contrast in sensor measurements just by checking out a spec sheet. The graphic underneath should offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 and FS42.
As you can see, each of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 due to its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus E-M1 will show greater detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The newer E-M1 should have an edge in sensor technology.
Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic FS42 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic FS42 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Panasonic |
| Model | Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 |
| Type | Pro Mirrorless | Ultracompact |
| Released | 2013-10-28 | 2009-04-17 |
| Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Ultracompact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | TruePIC VII | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.5" |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 5.744 x 4.308mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 24.7mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16MP | 10MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest Possible resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 3648 x 2736 |
| Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 1000 |
| Maximum enhanced ISO | - | 6400 |
| Min native ISO | 100 | 80 |
| RAW format | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| AF touch | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection AF | ||
| Contract detection AF | ||
| Phase detection AF | ||
| Number of focus points | 81 | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | - | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
| Maximum aperture | - | f/2.8-5.9 |
| Macro focus distance | - | 5cm |
| Number of lenses | 107 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 6.3 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Tilting | Fixed Type |
| Screen sizing | 3 inch | 2.5 inch |
| Resolution of screen | 1,037 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic | None |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360 thousand dots | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | - |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60s | 60s |
| Max shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/2000s |
| Continuous shutter rate | 10.0 frames/s | 2.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | no built-in flash | 6.30 m |
| Flash modes | Flash Auto, 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 | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | 1/320s | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
| Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 640x480 |
| Video file format | H.264, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 497 grams (1.10 lbs) | 132 grams (0.29 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") | 98 x 55 x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | 73 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | 23.0 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 12.7 | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | 757 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 350 shots | - |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery model | BLN-1 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC card, Internal |
| Card slots | One | One |
| Cost at release | $799 | $580 |