Panasonic FH20 vs Panasonic FS42

Below, we are evaluating the Panasonic FH20 vs Panasonic FS42, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Ultracompact and both of them are manufactured by Panasonic. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the FH20 (14MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the FH20 (1/2.3") and FS42 (1/2.5") feature different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The FH20 was announced 9 months after the FS42 which means that they are of a similar age. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FH20 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going straight into a complete comparison, below is a simple view of how the FH20 scores against the FS42 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic FH20 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FH20 enjoys exterior dimensions of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") and a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs) and the Panasonic FS42 has proportions of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

See the Panasonic FH20 vs Panasonic FS42 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the FH20 against the FS42.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FH20 and FS42 is 93 and 95 respectively.

Normally, it is difficult to imagine the difference between sensor sizes purely by reading through a spec sheet. The image here might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the FH20 and FS42.

As you can see, both the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The FH20 having a larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FH20 will resolve greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The fresher FH20 should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.