Panasonic FS42 vs Panasonic ZS8

Lets look a little more closely at the Panasonic FS42 vs Panasonic ZS8, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are produced by Panasonic. There is a big difference between the image resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and ZS8 (14MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and ZS8 (1/2.3") come with different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FS42 was introduced 3 years earlier than the ZS8 and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera.

Before we go in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the FS42 scores versus the ZS8 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic FS42 Gallery and Panasonic ZS8 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic FS42 comes with outer dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS8 has specifications of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FS42 vs Panasonic ZS8 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select at that time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the FS42 compared to the ZS8.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the FS42 and ZS8 is 95 and 92 respectively.

Often, it's difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing only by looking at specifications. The photograph here may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the FS42 and ZS8.

To sum up, both of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FS42 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh harder and the Panasonic ZS8 will resolve more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images much more aggressively. The older FS42 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.