Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS12

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.

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.

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.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and FS12 is 89 and 95 respectively.

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.