Olympus 7000 vs Panasonic FS42

Here, we will be reviewing the Olympus 7000 and Panasonic FS42, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the 7000 (12MP) and the FS42 (10MP) is pretty well matched but the 7000 (1/2.3") and FS42 (1/2.5") posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The 7000 was released 3 months earlier than the FS42 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 7000 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before we go straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick summary of how the 7000 scores vs the FS42 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 7000 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The complete galleries are available at Olympus 7000 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus 7000 has physical dimensions of 96mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 172 grams (0.38 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FS42 has measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Examine the Olympus 7000 and Panasonic FS42 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the 7000 against the FS42.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 7000 and FS42 is 94 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements merely by looking at technical specs. The visual underneath will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the 7000 and FS42.

As you have seen, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The 7000 due to its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus 7000 will resolve more detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a good deal more aggressively.