Olympus VG-120 vs Panasonic FS42

In this article, we will be matching up the Olympus VG-120 and Panasonic FS42, both Ultracompact cameras by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the VG-120 (14MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the VG-120 (1/2.3") and FS42 (1/2.5") come with different sensor measurements.

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The VG-120 was brought out 21 months later than the FS42 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Ultracompact).

Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the VG-120 scores vs the FS42 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VG-120 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus VG-120 Gallery and Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VG-120 enjoys outside measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) and the Panasonic FS42 has dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus VG-120 and Panasonic FS42 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the VG-120 against the FS42.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the VG-120 and FS42 is 96 and 95 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to visualize the difference in sensor measurements simply by going through technical specs. The visual below should give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the VG-120 and FS42.

As you have seen, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The VG-120 due to its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus VG-120 will show extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more modern VG-120 provides a benefit with regard to sensor technology.