Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS42
89 Imaging
37 Features
36 Overall
36
95 Imaging
32 Features
10 Overall
23
Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS42 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
- 226g - 106 x 69 x 40mm
- Introduced January 2012
(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
- Launched April 2009
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Here is a thorough assessment of the Olympus SZ-12 versus Panasonic FS42, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and FS42 (1/2.5") posses totally different sensor sizing.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe SZ-12 was manufactured 2 years later than the FS42 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.
Before we go into a more detailed comparison, here is a short view of how the SZ-12 grades against the FS42 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-12 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-12 over the Panasonic FS42
| SZ-12 | FS42 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | January 2012 | April 2009 | Fresher by 34 months | |
| Display size | 3" | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") | |
| Display resolution | 460k | 230k | Crisper display (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Panasonic FS42 over the Olympus SZ-12
| FS42 | SZ-12 |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic FS42
| SZ-12 | FS42 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | Lack of manual focusing | |||
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Selfie screen | Absent selfie screen | |||
| Touch display | Absent Touch display |
Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS42 Physical Comparison
If you are planning to carry your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-12 has got exterior dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Panasonic FS42 has measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).
Compare the Olympus SZ-12 versus Panasonic FS42 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the SZ-12 vs the FS42.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and FS42 is 89 and 95 respectively.
Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS42 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, its hard to see the gap between sensor sizing only by reading through technical specs. The graphic here will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-12 and FS42.
As you have seen, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SZ-12 featuring a larger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Olympus SZ-12 will resolve extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The newer SZ-12 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.
Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS42 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FS42 Specifications
| Olympus SZ-12 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Olympus | Panasonic |
| Model type | Olympus SZ-12 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 |
| Class | Small Sensor Superzoom | Ultracompact |
| Introduced | 2012-01-10 | 2009-04-17 |
| Physical type | Compact | Ultracompact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.5" |
| Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 5.744 x 4.308mm |
| Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 24.7mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 14MP | 10MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | - | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 4288 x 3216 | 3648 x 2736 |
| Max native ISO | 1600 | 1000 |
| Max enhanced ISO | - | 6400 |
| Lowest native ISO | 80 | 80 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect focus | ||
| Contract detect focus | ||
| Phase detect focus | ||
| Cross type focus points | - | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | fixed lens | fixed lens |
| Lens zoom range | 25-600mm (24.0x) | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
| Maximal aperture | f/3.0-6.9 | f/2.8-5.9 |
| Macro focusing distance | - | 5cm |
| Crop factor | 5.8 | 6.3 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display diagonal | 3 inches | 2.5 inches |
| Resolution of display | 460k dots | 230k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch capability | ||
| Display technology | TFT Color LCD | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | None |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 4 seconds | 60 seconds |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/1700 seconds | 1/2000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter rate | 1.0 frames/s | 2.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | - | 6.30 m |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync |
| External flash | ||
| 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) |
| Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 640x480 |
| Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
| Mic support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 226g (0.50 pounds) | 132g (0.29 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 106 x 69 x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") | 98 x 55 x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 220 pictures | - |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery ID | LI-50B | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC card, Internal |
| Card slots | 1 | 1 |
| Price at release | $350 | $580 |