Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic FS42

Here, we will be contrasting the Olympus SH-1 and Panasonic FS42, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the SH-1 (16MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the SH-1 (1/2.3") and FS42 (1/2.5") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SH-1 was unveiled 5 years after the FS42 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-1 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the SH-1 matches up versus the FS42 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus SH-1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-1 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus SH-1 comes with external measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Panasonic FS42 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-1 and Panasonic FS42 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the SH-1 and the FS42.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the SH-1 and FS42 is 88 and 95 respectively.

Often, its difficult to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions only by checking out specifications. The pic below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-1 and FS42.

Plainly, each of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SH-1 with its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus SH-1 will show greater detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The more recent SH-1 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.