Panasonic FS12 vs Sigma DP2 Merrill

Below, we are contrasting the Panasonic FS12 and Sigma DP2 Merrill, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Panasonic and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the FS12 (12MP) and the DP2 Merrill (15MP) is fairly comparable but the FS12 (1/2.3") and DP2 Merrill (APS-C) possess totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FS12 was introduced 3 years before the DP2 Merrill and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sigma DP2 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going through a thorough comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the FS12 matches up vs the DP2 Merrill in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 and Sigma DP2 Merrill. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic FS12 Gallery and Sigma DP2 Merrill Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FS12 offers outside measurements of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Sigma DP2 Merrill has dimensions of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") along with a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FS12 and Sigma DP2 Merrill in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have at that time. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the FS12 against the DP2 Merrill.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FS12 and DP2 Merrill is 95 and 83 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualise the gap in sensor measurements purely by seeing specifications. The graphic here might offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the FS12 and DP2 Merrill.

To sum up, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FS12 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Sigma DP2 Merrill will provide greater detail using its extra 3 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older FS12 will be behind in sensor technology.