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Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42

Portability
94
Imaging
38
Features
33
Overall
36
Olympus TG-320 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 front
Portability
95
Imaging
33
Features
10
Overall
23

Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42 Key Specs

Olympus TG-320
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-102mm (F3.5-5.1) lens
  • 155g - 96 x 63 x 23mm
  • Launched January 2012
Panasonic FS42
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.5" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1000 (Increase to 6400)
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 33-132mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
  • 132g - 98 x 55 x 22mm
  • Introduced April 2009
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Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42 Overview

Below is a detailed assessment of the Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the TG-320 (14MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the TG-320 (1/2.3") and FS42 (1/2.5") posses different sensor size.

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The TG-320 was announced 2 years later than the FS42 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-320 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a simple summary of how the TG-320 scores versus the FS42 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-320 over the Panasonic FS42

 TG-320 FS42 
IntroducedJanuary 2012April 2009More recent by 34 months
Display dimensions2.7"2.5"Larger display (+0.2")

Reasons to pick Panasonic FS42 over the Olympus TG-320

 FS42 TG-320 

Common features in the Olympus TG-320 and Panasonic FS42

 TG-320 FS42 
Manually focus Lack of manual focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Display resolution230k230kIdentical display resolution
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither has Touch friendly display

Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42 Physical Comparison

If you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus TG-320 has exterior dimensions of 96mm x 63mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9") along with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FS42 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose at that moment. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the TG-320 vs the FS42.

Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42 size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-320 and FS42 is 94 and 95 respectively.

Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualize the difference between sensor measurements purely by looking at specs. The visual below should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-320 and FS42.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The TG-320 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh simpler and the Olympus TG-320 will give greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more recent TG-320 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-320 Portrait photography info
Panasonic FS42 Portrait photography info
34
megapixel count decent (14MP)
includes face detect focusing
focusing manually not possible
lack of manual exposure
no external flash support
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
19
focusing manually not possible
manual mode not available
cannot use external flash
resolution not great (10 megapixels)
sensor is very small (1/2.5")
lacks RAW format
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-320 Street photography features
Panasonic FS42 Street photography features
66
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment proofing
lighter than competitors (155g)
no articulating screen
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
47
no articulating screen
no image stabilization
sensor is very small (1/2.5")
lacks RAW format
max ISO too low (1,000)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-320 Sports photography advice
Panasonic FS42 Sports photography advice
41
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
includes tracking focus
environment proofing
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
terrible battery pack (150 per charge)
doesn't have phase detect AF
16
max fps very slow (2.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
no image stabilization
resolution not great (10MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.5")
lacks phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-320 Travel photography information
Panasonic FS42 Travel photography information
67
lighter than competitors (155 grams)
environment proofing
megapixel count decent (14MP)
built-in flash
pretty wide (28mm)
does not have Time Lapse function
terrible battery pack (150 CIPA)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
51
built-in flash
no Timelapse recording
resolution not great (10MP)
doesn't posses selfie friendly display
wide angle not fantastic (33mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-320 Landscape photography details
Panasonic FS42 Landscape photography details
39
pretty wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
environment proofing
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
tiny screen (2.7 inches)
lack of manual exposure
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
terrible battery pack (150 per charge)
does not have Time Lapse function
22
focusing manually not possible
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (33mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
tiny screen (2.5 inch)
manual mode not available
no image stabilization
resolution not great (10MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.5")
max ISO too low (1,000)
lacks RAW format
no Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus TG-320
Vlogging with Panasonic FS42
32
pretty wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
includes face detect focusing
lighter than competitors (155 grams)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
low quality video (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have mic socket
22
wide angle not fantastic (33mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
doesn't posses selfie friendly display
no image stabilization
video quality not great (640 x 480 pxls)
no external microphone socket
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Olympus TG-320 vs Panasonic FS42 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-320 and Panasonic FS42
 Olympus TG-320Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42
General Information
Company Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus TG-320 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42
Class Waterproof Ultracompact
Launched 2012-01-10 2009-04-17
Physical type Compact Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic III+ -
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.5"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 5.744 x 4.308mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 24.7mm²
Sensor resolution 14MP 10MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio - 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4288 x 3216 3648 x 2736
Highest native ISO 1600 1000
Highest boosted ISO - 6400
Lowest native ISO 80 80
RAW images
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 28-102mm (3.6x) 33-132mm (4.0x)
Largest aperture f/3.5-5.1 f/2.8-5.9
Macro focusing range 3cm 5cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 6.3
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 2.7 inch 2.5 inch
Display resolution 230k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display tech TFT Color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Lowest shutter speed 4 seconds 60 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/2000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 1.0 frames per second 2.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 5.80 m 6.30 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1280x720 640x480
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 155 gr (0.34 lb) 132 gr (0.29 lb)
Physical dimensions 96 x 63 x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9") 98 x 55 x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 150 images -
Battery type Battery Pack -
Battery ID LI-42B -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC card, Internal
Card slots Single Single
Retail pricing $0 $580