Panasonic FS42 vs Panasonic LZ40

Lets look a bit more closely at the Panasonic FS42 and Panasonic LZ40, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both created by Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and LZ40 (20MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and LZ40 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

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The FS42 was manufactured 5 years before the LZ40 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic LZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting in to a full comparison, below is a simple overview of how the FS42 grades versus the LZ40 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ40. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic FS42 Gallery & Panasonic LZ40 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FS42 features outer measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) and the Panasonic LZ40 has dimensions of 126mm x 87mm x 94mm (5.0" x 3.4" x 3.7") along with a weight of 524 grams (1.16 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FS42 and Panasonic LZ40 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the FS42 vs the LZ40.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FS42 and LZ40 is 95 and 67 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to envision the gap between sensor measurements purely by reading technical specs. The visual here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the FS42 and LZ40.

As you can tell, both the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FS42 featuring a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic LZ40 will offer greater detail due to its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots far more aggressively. The older FS42 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.