Olympus VH-515 vs Panasonic FS42
95 Imaging
35 Features
34 Overall
34
95 Imaging
32 Features
10 Overall
23
Olympus VH-515 vs Panasonic FS42 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 26-130mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
- 152g - 102 x 60 x 21mm
- Launched August 2012
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.5" Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1000 (Raise to 6400)
- 640 x 480 video
- 33-132mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
- 132g - 98 x 55 x 22mm
- Revealed April 2009
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Let's look more in depth at the Olympus VH-515 versus Panasonic FS42, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Ultracompact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the VH-515 (12MP) and the FS42 (10MP) is relatively close but the VH-515 (1/2.3") and FS42 (1/2.5") boast different sensor measurements.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe VH-515 was unveiled 3 years after the FS42 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.
Before we go straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the VH-515 grades against the FS42 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
Photography Glossary Olympus VH-515 vs Panasonic FS42 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VH-515 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus VH-515 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus VH-515 over the Panasonic FS42
| VH-515 | FS42 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | August 2012 | April 2009 | Newer by 41 months | |
| Screen size | 3" | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.5") | |
| Screen resolution | 460k | 230k | Sharper screen (+230k dot) | |
| Touch friendly screen | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Panasonic FS42 over the Olympus VH-515
| FS42 | VH-515 |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus VH-515 and Panasonic FS42
| VH-515 | FS42 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Lack of manual focus | |||
| Screen type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed screen | |
| Selfie screen | Neither contains selfie screen |
Olympus VH-515 vs Panasonic FS42 Physical Comparison
If you are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus VH-515 has got exterior measurements of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") and a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) while the Panasonic FS42 has proportions of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus VH-515 versus Panasonic FS42 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use during that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the VH-515 and the FS42.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the VH-515 and FS42 is 95 and 95 respectively.
Olympus VH-515 vs Panasonic FS42 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it's difficult to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions simply by looking through a spec sheet. The image here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the VH-515 and FS42.
As you can see, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The VH-515 having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus VH-515 will render greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The more modern VH-515 provides an edge in sensor tech.
Olympus VH-515 vs Panasonic FS42 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus VH-515 vs Panasonic FS42 Specifications
| Olympus VH-515 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Panasonic |
| Model type | Olympus VH-515 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 |
| Type | Small Sensor Compact | Ultracompact |
| Launched | 2012-08-21 | 2009-04-17 |
| Physical type | Compact | Ultracompact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | TruePic III+ | - |
| Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.5" |
| Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 5.744 x 4.308mm |
| Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 24.7mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 10 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 3648 x 2736 |
| Max native ISO | 1600 | 1000 |
| Max boosted ISO | - | 6400 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 80 |
| RAW pictures | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
| Lens zoom range | 26-130mm (5.0x) | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
| Maximum aperture | f/2.8-6.5 | f/2.8-5.9 |
| Macro focusing range | 5cm | 5cm |
| Crop factor | 5.8 | 6.3 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display size | 3 inch | 2.5 inch |
| Resolution of display | 460 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Display technology | TFT Color LCD | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | None |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 4 secs | 60 secs |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/2000 secs |
| Continuous shooting rate | 2.0fps | 2.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual mode | ||
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 4.70 m | 6.30 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30,15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 180 (30,15 fps) | 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 640x480 |
| Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
| Mic support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 152 gr (0.34 lbs) | 132 gr (0.29 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 102 x 60 x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") | 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 ID | LI-50B | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC card, Internal |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Price at launch | $648 | $580 |