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Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A7R III

Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
14
Overall
26
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 front
 
Sony Alpha A7R III front
Portability
63
Imaging
78
Features
93
Overall
84

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A7R III Key Specs

Panasonic FS12
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600 (Expand to 6400)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 31-124mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
  • 129g - 97 x 55 x 22mm
  • Launched April 2009
Sony A7R III
(Full Review)
  • 42MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 32000 (Boost to 102400)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 657g - 127 x 96 x 74mm
  • Introduced October 2017
  • Superseded the Sony A7R II
  • Refreshed by Sony A7R IV
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Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A7R III Overview

Here, we will be contrasting the Panasonic FS12 and Sony A7R III, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the FS12 (12MP) and A7R III (42MP) and the FS12 (1/2.3") and A7R III (Full frame) offer different sensor dimensions.

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The FS12 was brought out 9 years before the A7R III and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A7R III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a full comparison, here is a short summation of how the FS12 scores versus the A7R III in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Panasonic FS12 over the Sony A7R III

 FS12 A7R III 

Reasons to pick Sony A7R III over the Panasonic FS12

 A7R III FS12 
IntroducedOctober 2017April 2009Fresher by 103 months
Manually focus Very exact focusing
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen size3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1440k230kSharper screen (+1210k dot)
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Panasonic FS12 and Sony A7R III

 FS12 A7R III 
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A7R III Physical Comparison

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FS12 has got exterior dimensions of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sony A7R III has measurements of 127mm x 96mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 657 grams (1.45 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FS12 and Sony A7R III in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are employing at that moment. The following is a front view size comparison of the FS12 and the A7R III.

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A7R III size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the FS12 and A7R III is 95 and 63 respectively.

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A7R III top view buttons comparison

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A7R III Sensor Comparison

Often, it is tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizing only by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic below might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the FS12 and A7R III.

Clearly, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FS12 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A7R III will give you extra detail having its extra 30 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older FS12 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A7R III sensor size comparison

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A7R III Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A7R III Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic FS12 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony A7R III as a Portrait photography camera
21
focusing manually not possible
no manual control
no external flash support
low resolution (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
86
focusing manually
amazing MP (42 megapixels)
big sensor size (Full frame)
supports face detect focusing
supports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Panasonic FS12 Street photography advice
Sony A7R III Street photography advice
57
image stabilization (Optical)
no articulating screen
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
79
tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
big sensor size (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
features focus by touch
environment proofing
above average ISO range (32,000)
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Sports Comparison

Panasonic FS12 Sports photography information
Sony A7R III Sports photography information
25
image stabilization (Optical)
max fps very slow (2.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
low resolution (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect autofocus
89
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
amazing MP (42MP)
big sensor size (Full frame)
supports tracking focus
environment proofing
better than average battery pack (650 CIPA)
supports phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic FS12 Travel photography details
Sony A7R III Travel photography details
51
has built in flash
does not have Timelapse recording
low resolution (12 megapixels)
does not feature selfie friendly display
wide angle not fantastic (31mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
74
better than average battery pack (650 CIPA)
environment proofing
has bluetooth
features focus by touch
amazing MP (42MP)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Panasonic FS12 Landscape photography highlights
Sony A7R III Landscape photography highlights
28
image stabilization (Optical)
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (31mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
small screen (2.7")
no manual control
low resolution (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
does not have Timelapse recording
87
focusing manually
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
amazing MP (42 megapixels)
big sensor size (Full frame)
no low pass filter
above average ISO range (32,000)
supports RAW formats
environment proofing
better than average battery pack (650 shots)
two card slots
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Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic FS12 Vlogging information
Sony A7R III Vlogging information
25
image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not fantastic (31mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
does not feature selfie friendly display
video resolution low (640 x 480 resolution)
does not have microphone jack
37
touchscreen enabled
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detect focusing
video resolution high (3840 x 2160 pxls)
comes with mic socket
does not have a selfie friendly screen
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Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A7R III Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic FS12 and Sony A7R III
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12Sony Alpha A7R III
General Information
Company Panasonic Sony
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 Sony Alpha A7R III
Category Ultracompact Pro Mirrorless
Launched 2009-04-17 2017-10-25
Physical type Ultracompact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Bionz X
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" Full frame
Sensor dimensions 6.08 x 4.56mm 35.9 x 24mm
Sensor surface area 27.7mm² 861.6mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 42MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 4000 x 3000 7952 x 5304
Maximum native ISO 1600 32000
Maximum enhanced ISO 6400 102400
Min native ISO 80 100
RAW format
Min enhanced ISO - 50
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points - 425
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 31-124mm (4.0x) -
Maximal aperture f/2.8-5.9 -
Macro focusing range 5cm -
Total lenses - 121
Focal length multiplier 5.9 1
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 2.7" 3"
Resolution of screen 230 thousand dots 1,440 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 3,686 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.78x
Features
Min shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 2.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 6.30 m no built-in flash
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync Off, Auto, Fill-flash, Slow Sync, Rear Sync, Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Maximum video resolution 640x480 3840x2160
Video data format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.1 Gen 1(5 GBit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 129 gr (0.28 lbs) 657 gr (1.45 lbs)
Physical dimensions 97 x 55 x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") 127 x 96 x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 100
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 26.0
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 14.7
DXO Low light rating not tested 3523
Other
Battery life - 650 photographs
Battery type - Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FZ100
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC card, Internal Two SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II support on one)
Card slots 1 Two
Launch pricing $228 $2,800