Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FS12

The following is a in depth overview of the Olympus E-M5 and Panasonic FS12, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and FS12 (12MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and FS12 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor size.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-M5 was unveiled 3 years after the FS12 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-M5 matches up against the FS12 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Panasonic FS12 Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M5 has got exterior measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FS12 has proportions of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-M5 and Panasonic FS12 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M5 against the FS12.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and FS12 is 81 and 95 respectively.

Generally, its hard to envision the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by seeing specs. The image underneath will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 and FS12.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-M5 will produce extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images far more aggressively. The more recent E-M5 will have a benefit in sensor technology.