Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FS42

Here, we are contrasting the Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FS42, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and FS42 (1/2.5") posses different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M5 was unveiled 3 years later than the FS42 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-M5 matches up vs the FS42 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M5 features physical measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic FS42 has proportions of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FS42 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M5 and the FS42.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and FS42 is 81 and 95 respectively.

Often, its tough to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements merely by reviewing specifications. The photograph here should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 and FS42.

To sum up, the 2 cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 having a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 will offer you more detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-M5 provides a benefit with regard to sensor tech.