Panasonic FS12 vs Samsung NX500

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Panasonic FS12 and Samsung NX500, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Panasonic and Samsung. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the FS12 (12MP) and NX500 (28MP) and the FS12 (1/2.3") and NX500 (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

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The FS12 was brought out 6 years before the NX500 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera and the Samsung NX500 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a complete comparison, below is a quick summary of how the FS12 grades against the NX500 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 & Samsung NX500. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic FS12 Gallery & Samsung NX500 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera, you need to consider its weight and size. The Panasonic FS12 comes with exterior measurements of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Samsung NX500 has specifications of 120mm x 64mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FS12 and Samsung NX500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the FS12 compared to the NX500.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FS12 and NX500 is 95 and 87 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reading technical specs. The graphic below will give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the FS12 and NX500.

As you can tell, both of these cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The FS12 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Samsung NX500 will offer extra detail having its extra 16 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The older FS12 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.