Panasonic FS42 vs Panasonic SZ5

Let's look a bit more closely at the Panasonic FS42 versus Panasonic SZ5, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both manufactured by Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and SZ5 (14MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and SZ5 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The FS42 was brought out 4 years before the SZ5 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a full comparison, here is a quick summary of how the FS42 scores versus the SZ5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic FS42 Gallery & Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FS42 comes with physical measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ5 has proportions of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FS42 versus Panasonic SZ5 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at the time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the FS42 against the SZ5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the FS42 and SZ5 is 95 and 95 respectively.

Often, it is tough to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements purely by going over specifications. The visual below should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the FS42 and SZ5.

To sum up, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FS42 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Panasonic SZ5 will offer extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older FS42 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.