Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic FS42

Lets look more closely at the Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic FS42, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the resolutions of the SZ-15 (16MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and FS42 (1/2.5") offer totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-15 was launched 4 years after the FS42 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting into a in depth comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the SZ-15 scores vs the FS42 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-15 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry around your camera, you need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-15 has got external measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") having a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FS42 has sizing of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic FS42 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the SZ-15 and the FS42.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-15 and FS42 is 88 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it can be tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizes simply by checking technical specs. The picture here may give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-15 and FS42.

As you have seen, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SZ-15 because of its larger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Olympus SZ-15 will give you greater detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more recent SZ-15 will have a benefit in sensor technology.