Olympus VR-320 vs Panasonic FS12

In this article, we will be comparing the Olympus VR-320 and Panasonic FS12, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the VR-320 (14MP) and the FS12 (12MP) is pretty close and they possess the same exact sensor size (1/2.3").

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The VR-320 was manufactured 2 years after the FS12 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VR-320 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the VR-320 grades vs the FS12 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VR-320 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12. The entire galleries are available at Olympus VR-320 Gallery and Panasonic FS12 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to travel with your camera often, you will need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus VR-320 has outer dimensions of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Panasonic FS12 has specifications of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs).

Examine the Olympus VR-320 and Panasonic FS12 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the VR-320 compared to the FS12.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the VR-320 and FS12 is 94 and 95 respectively.

Often, it is very difficult to see the gap in sensor dimensions purely by researching technical specs. The pic underneath will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-320 and FS12.

As you can tell, both of the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same resolution. You should expect the Olympus VR-320 to render greater detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The younger VR-320 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.