Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS12
89 Imaging
37 Features
36 Overall
36
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95 Imaging
34 Features
14 Overall
26
Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS12 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
- 226g - 106 x 69 x 40mm
- Announced January 2012
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 1600 (Raise to 6400)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 640 x 480 video
- 31-124mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
- 129g - 97 x 55 x 22mm
- Revealed April 2009
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Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS12 Overview
Following is a complete review of the Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS12, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the FS12 (12MP) is very close and they feature the same exact sensor size (1/2.3").
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The SZ-12 was manufactured 2 years after the FS12 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera.
Before going through a complete comparison, below is a concise overview of how the SZ-12 grades vs the FS12 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS12 Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-12 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Panasonic FS12 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-12 over the Panasonic FS12
SZ-12 | FS12 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | January 2012 | ![]() | April 2009 | More modern by 34 months |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer display (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Panasonic FS12 over the Olympus SZ-12
FS12 | SZ-12 |
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Common features in the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic FS12
SZ-12 | FS12 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | No manual focus | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Absent selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Neither comes with Touch friendly display |
Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS12 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera often, you'll need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus SZ-12 comes with outer dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Panasonic FS12 has proportions of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs).
See the Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS12 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. The following is the front view size comparison of the SZ-12 vs the FS12.
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Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and FS12 is 89 and 95 respectively.
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Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS12 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, its tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes purely by viewing a spec sheet. The picture underneath will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-12 and FS12.
Clearly, each of the cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but different megapixels. You can expect to see the Olympus SZ-12 to result in more detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images far more aggressively. The more modern SZ-12 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.
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Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS12 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS12 Specifications
Olympus SZ-12 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model | Olympus SZ-12 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 |
Type | Small Sensor Superzoom | Ultracompact |
Announced | 2012-01-10 | 2009-04-17 |
Body design | Compact | Ultracompact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14MP | 12MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | - | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 4288 x 3216 | 4000 x 3000 |
Highest native ISO | 1600 | 1600 |
Highest enhanced ISO | - | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 80 | 80 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Cross focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 25-600mm (24.0x) | 31-124mm (4.0x) |
Maximal aperture | f/3.0-6.9 | f/2.8-5.9 |
Macro focus distance | - | 5cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen diagonal | 3" | 2.7" |
Screen resolution | 460k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch capability | ||
Screen technology | TFT Color LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 4 secs | 60 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/1700 secs | 1/2000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 1.0 frames per sec | 2.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | - | 6.30 m |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) | 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | 640x480 |
Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 226g (0.50 pounds) | 129g (0.28 pounds) |
Dimensions | 106 x 69 x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") | 97 x 55 x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall 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 | 220 pictures | - |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | - |
Battery model | LI-50B | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC card, Internal |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Price at release | $350 | $228 |