Panasonic FS12 vs Sony RX10 III

On this page, we will be analyzing the Panasonic FS12 and Sony RX10 III, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the FS12 (12MP) and RX10 III (20MP) and the FS12 (1/2.3") and RX10 III (1") have different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The FS12 was launched 8 years before the RX10 III and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony RX10 III being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the FS12 grades against the RX10 III when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic FS12 Gallery and Sony RX10 III Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic FS12 provides physical dimensions 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 Sony RX10 III has specifications of 133mm x 94mm x 127mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.0") having a weight of 1051 grams (2.32 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FS12 and Sony RX10 III in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at the time. The following is a front view size comparison of the FS12 versus the RX10 III.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the FS12 and RX10 III is 95 and 53 respectively.

Often, it is hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements just by going through technical specs. The graphic below may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the FS12 and RX10 III.

As you have seen, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FS12 because of its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony RX10 III will produce extra detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs more aggressively. The older FS12 will be behind in sensor tech.