Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic FS12

Below, we are analyzing the Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic FS12, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the VR-340 (16MP) and FS12 (12MP) but they possess the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The VR-340 was announced 2 years after the FS12 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the VR-340 scores vs the FS12 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VR-340 Gallery and Panasonic FS12 Gallery.

In case you're going to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus VR-340 has external dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FS12 has measurements of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic FS12 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the VR-340 vs the FS12.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the VR-340 and FS12 is 96 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions just by reading specs. The image here may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-340 and FS12.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements but different MP. You should expect to see the Olympus VR-340 to offer more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos much more aggressively. The more modern VR-340 should have a benefit in sensor tech.