Panasonic FS12 vs Sony A7R III

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.

Photography Glossary

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.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 and Sony Alpha A7R III. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic FS12 Gallery and Sony A7R III Gallery.

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.

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.

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

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.