Olympus SH-2 vs Panasonic FS12

The following is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus SH-2 vs Panasonic FS12, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the SH-2 (16MP) and FS12 (12MP) but they come with the same exact sensor sizing (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SH-2 was manufactured 5 years after the FS12 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going through a in depth comparison, below is a short introduction of how the SH-2 matches up vs the FS12 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus SH-2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-2 Gallery & Panasonic FS12 Gallery.

When you are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus SH-2 has outside measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Panasonic FS12 has specifications of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SH-2 vs Panasonic FS12 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the SH-2 vs the FS12.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SH-2 and FS12 is 88 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions only by going through technical specs. The image underneath will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-2 and FS12.

As you have seen, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit different resolution. You can count on the Olympus SH-2 to produce greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will let you crop shots a little more aggressively. The more modern SH-2 provides an advantage with regard to sensor tech.