Olympus VG-160 vs Panasonic FS42

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus VG-160 and Panasonic FS42, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap between the sensor resolutions of the VG-160 (14MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the VG-160 (1/2.3") and FS42 (1/2.5") possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The VG-160 was released 2 years later than the FS42 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple summary of how the VG-160 matches up vs the FS42 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-160 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus VG-160 Gallery and Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera often, you will need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus VG-160 has got outer dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Panasonic FS42 has measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Examine the Olympus VG-160 and Panasonic FS42 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are using at that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the VG-160 against the FS42.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VG-160 and FS42 is 96 and 95 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to envision the difference between sensor measurements merely by reviewing a spec sheet. The visual below will give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-160 and FS42.

As you can see, both of these cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The VG-160 because of its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus VG-160 will deliver extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics far more aggressively. The newer VG-160 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.