Olympus SH-2 vs Panasonic FS42

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus SH-2 vs Panasonic FS42, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the SH-2 (16MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the SH-2 (1/2.3") and FS42 (1/2.5") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SH-2 was manufactured 5 years later than the FS42 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going into a in depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the SH-2 matches up versus the FS42 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus SH-2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-2 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-2 provides outer 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) and the Panasonic FS42 has dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Check the Olympus SH-2 vs Panasonic FS42 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the SH-2 against the FS42.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SH-2 and FS42 is 88 and 95 respectively.

Typically, it is very difficult to envision the gap between sensor measurements just by going over a spec sheet. The photograph here might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-2 and FS42.

Clearly, both cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SH-2 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus SH-2 will offer greater detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures way more aggressively. The more recent SH-2 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.