Panasonic FS12

Panasonic FS12 is Panasonic's Ultracompact camera initially launched on April of 2009. The camera houses a 12MP, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a max resolution of 4000 x 3000.

The FS12 comes in at #137 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras & over all #1228 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our database. You should look at our Smart camera search to find camera rankings based on your personal criteria.

The following is a graph of different factors used in the rating system.

The Panasonic FS12 has a history of related digital cameras. Underneath, you can see all earlier and most recent models alongside main specifications.

You can check the FS12 from various angles in the gallery below.

Below is a collection of pluses and minuses of the Panasonic FS12 based on features which are typically considered important in a camera.

The sensor specification on the Panasonic FS12 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to capture 4000 x 3000 pixels and aspect ratios of 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera comes with Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization since the latter can lead to cropping.

Photography Glossary

The CCD sensor has 12 megapixels and delivers a native ISO range of 80 to 1600. This ISO can be widened digitally to a high of 6400. Sadly, RAW files are not saved therefore you have less margin for error.

The picture underneath displays the FS12's sensor dimensions in comparison to other common sizes. The FS12 sensor has a crop factor of 5.9 and is highlighted in green.

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To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Panasonic FS12 weighs around 0.28 pounds (129g / 4.55 oz) & the measurement of the camera is 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9"). The weight of typical Ultracompact camera is 121g and the Panasonic FS12 is very much the same in comparison with its rivals.

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Down below is a shot of the Panasonic FS12 with a soda so you're able to get a feel for its scale.

The top view underneath will show you the button design on the FS12.

The FS12 has a built in lens featuring a focal range of 31-124mm making it a 4.0 x zoom which is not great nevertheless it will be useful in a few cases.

At the widest 31mm, it comes with an aperture of f2.8 which is somewhat slow and not very good for low light events and you will likely find it difficult to get a shallow depth of field. You might also need to increase the ISO producing noisy pictures. At the tele end, 124mm comes at f5.9 making it fairly sluggish and you might need to utilize slow shutter speeds.

The FS12 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes

Digital cameras that incorporate NFC and / or Bluetooth compatibility can be controlled wirelessly via smartphones. You will be able to send pictures and sometimes adjust camera settings without connecting straight to the camera.

Some applications even provide a Liveview and hit the shutter if you are not close to the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI port, it can be connected to an external screen. The majority of cameras enable you to charge the battery pack through the USB socket.

The max video quality on the Panasonic FS12 is 640 x 480 and you can shoot in Motion JPEG format. 480p is low for today's requirements. You really should shoot for at least 1080p quality for video recording. The camera does not have a microphone and / or headphone socket which means that you have little control over the audio. It is probably a better idea to have a look at another model in case you want better audio for your video clips.

There is no environment proofing on the Panasonic FS12 so you need to be careful in wet and dusty conditions.

The Panasonic FS12 is equipped with a 2.7 inch fixed display screen supporting a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Please note that the display has no touch support.

Photography Glossary

The ViewFinder specifications for Panasonic FS12 are below:

• ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are rather handy during sunny outdoor conditions which can make the camera display washed out and difficult to see.

Panasonic FS12 continuous shooting rate is 2.0 frames/s. The maximum shutter speed is 1/2000 sec.

Panasonic FS12 comes with only built-in flash lacking external flash support.

Panasonic FS12 comes with just Contrast Detect Auto Focus & is missing Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more snappier & precise when compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing.

Panasonic FS12 lacks manual focus. Manual focus mode can be useful during low light conditions or you require more exact control on depth of field.

The usual Ultracompact camera battery life is 214. Nikon L32 comes with the maximum (320) battery life within this class of cameras.

Here is a listing of Ultracompact cameras which have the strongest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Nikon L32
FS12 vs L32320 nonono

Olympus TG-870
FS12 vs TG-870300 nonono

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Panasonic FP5
FS12 vs FP5260 nonono

Sony TX20
FS12 vs TX20250 nonono

Sony TX55
FS12 vs TX55250 nonono

The following bar chart displays a summary of the Panasonic FS12 for different categories of photography. To learn more, browse to the specific section underneath.

The Panasonic FS12 receives a points total of 20 which is bad, meaning that it is just not appropriate for portrait photography. Taking portrait photos leans heavily to sensor dimension, support for RAW photos along with the ability to utilize off-camera flash.

Getting a average points tally of 56, the Panasonic FS12 is somewhat appropriate to buy for street photography. A good street photography camera has a good balance of picture quality plus portability.

A bad sports photography score of 25 suggests the Panasonic FS12 is just not appropriate for photographing sports. A camera really should have good tracking and fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

Size is pretty crucial when getting a camera for travel. Overall, the Panasonic FS12 gets a moderate 51 as a travelling camera which is fairly appropriate to take with you on your trips.

For anybody planning to pick a digital camera for landscape pictures, the most significant factor will no doubt be image quality. The Panasonic FS12 with it's bad grade of 27 for a landscape camera is just not appropriate in the current marketplace.

A camera for vlogging should have a moving display, microphone port and if possible IBIS. Taking all things into account, the Panasonic FS12 is just not appropriate for vlogging as it receives a bad rating of 25.

If you are interested in alternatives to the FS12, here is a number of the top placed cameras that fall into the family of Ultracompact.

The chart underneath will give you an overview of the FS12 vs it's top scoring competitors suggested above.

There are more cameras you may take into account as alternative options. To go through a full comparison, click the "compare" link.