Clicky

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony RX100 III

Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
14
Overall
26
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III front
Portability
89
Imaging
51
Features
77
Overall
61

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony RX100 III Key Specs

Panasonic FS12
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600 (Push to 6400)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 31-124mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
  • 129g - 97 x 55 x 22mm
  • Revealed April 2009
Sony RX100 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 125 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-70mm (F1.8-2.8) lens
  • 290g - 102 x 58 x 41mm
  • Launched May 2014
  • Older Model is Sony RX100 II
  • Updated by Sony RX100 IV
Photography Glossary

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony RX100 III Overview

Here is a in depth assessment of the Panasonic FS12 versus Sony RX100 III, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There is a large difference between the image resolutions of the FS12 (12MP) and RX100 III (20MP) and the FS12 (1/2.3") and RX100 III (1") boast totally different sensor sizes.

President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

The FS12 was introduced 6 years earlier than the RX100 III and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony RX100 III being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a short overview of how the FS12 grades against the RX100 III in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes
	
	

Reasons to pick Panasonic FS12 over the Sony RX100 III

 FS12 RX100 III 

Reasons to pick Sony RX100 III over the Panasonic FS12

 RX100 III FS12 
LaunchedMay 2014April 2009Fresher by 61 months
Manually focus Dial precise focus
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimensions3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1229k230kSharper screen (+999k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Common features in the Panasonic FS12 and Sony RX100 III

 FS12 RX100 III 
Touch screen Lack of Touch screen

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony RX100 III Physical Comparison

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic FS12 comes with physical dimensions of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sony RX100 III has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") and a weight of 290 grams (0.64 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FS12 versus Sony RX100 III in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the FS12 versus the RX100 III.

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony RX100 III size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the FS12 and RX100 III is 95 and 89 respectively.

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony RX100 III top view buttons comparison

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony RX100 III Sensor Comparison

In many cases, its difficult to visualise the difference between sensor sizing merely by reading specifications. The graphic underneath may give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FS12 and RX100 III.

To sum up, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FS12 with its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Sony RX100 III will offer greater detail using its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older FS12 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony RX100 III sensor size comparison

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony RX100 III Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony RX100 III Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic FS12 Portrait photography details
Sony RX100 III Portrait photography details
21
focusing manually not possible
manual mode not available
cannot use external flash
low resolution sensor (12MP)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
64
you can focus manually
flash sync is higher than normal (1/2,000s)
good resolution (20 megapixels)
nice sensor size (1")
provides face detection autofocus
exports RAW files
external flash not possible
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Street Comparison

Street photography with Panasonic FS12
Street photography with Sony RX100 III
57
has image stabilization (Optical)
no articulating screen
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
85
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Optical)
nice sensor size (1")
exports RAW files
lighter than competitors (290 grams)
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Panasonic FS12
Sports photography with Sony RX100 III
25
has image stabilization (Optical)
slow continuous shooting (2.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect AF
65
image stabilization (Optical)
good resolution (20MP)
nice sensor size (1")
provides tracking autofocus
no phase detect autofocus
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Panasonic FS12
Travel photography with Sony RX100 III
51
built-in flash
lack of Time Lapse function
low resolution sensor (12MP)
screen isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not good (31mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
85
lighter than competitors (290 grams)
good resolution (20MP)
has built in flash
display is selfie friendly
decently wide (24mm)
fast maximum aperture (f1.8)
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Landscape Comparison

Panasonic FS12 Landscape photography information
Sony RX100 III Landscape photography information
28
has image stabilization (Optical)
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not good (31mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inches)
manual mode not available
low resolution sensor (12MP)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
lack of Time Lapse function
73
you can focus manually
decently wide (24mm)
fast maximum aperture (f1.8)
screen is a good size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
good resolution (20 megapixels)
nice sensor size (1")
exports RAW files
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic FS12 Vlogging info
Sony RX100 III Vlogging info
25
has image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not good (31mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen isn't selfie friendly
low quality video (640 x 480 pixels)
lack of mic jack
80
decently wide (24mm)
fast maximum aperture (f1.8)
display is selfie friendly
image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detection autofocus
great video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competitors (290g)
missing external mic socket
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Panasonic FS12 vs Sony RX100 III Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic FS12 and Sony RX100 III
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III
General Information
Company Panasonic Sony
Model Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III
Category Ultracompact Large Sensor Compact
Revealed 2009-04-17 2014-05-15
Physical type Ultracompact Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Powered by - Bionz X
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1"
Sensor dimensions 6.08 x 4.56mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor area 27.7mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 20MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 4000 x 3000 5472 x 3648
Max native ISO 1600 12800
Max boosted ISO 6400 -
Min native ISO 80 125
RAW files
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Number of focus points - 25
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 31-124mm (4.0x) 24-70mm (2.9x)
Max aperture f/2.8-5.9 f/1.8-2.8
Macro focus range 5cm 5cm
Crop factor 5.9 2.7
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Tilting
Display sizing 2.7" 3"
Resolution of display 230 thousand dots 1,229 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.59x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/2000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 2.0 frames per second 10.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 6.30 m -
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync -
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Highest flash synchronize - 1/2000 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60p/60i/24p), 1280 x 720 (60p/30p/24p/120p), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 640x480 1920x1080
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 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 129g (0.28 lbs) 290g (0.64 lbs)
Physical dimensions 97 x 55 x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") 102 x 58 x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 67
DXO Color Depth score not tested 22.4
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 12.3
DXO Low light score not tested 495
Other
Battery life - 320 shots
Type of battery - Battery Pack
Battery model - NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, self-portrait, continuous)
Time lapse recording With downloadable app
Type of storage SD/SDHC card, Internal SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Retail price $228 $748