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Panasonic FS15

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 front
 
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600 (Bump to 6400)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 29-145mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 136g - 97 x 54 x 22mm
  • Released January 2009
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
17
Overall
27

Panasonic FS15 overview

Panasonic FS15 is Panasonic's Ultracompact camera first revealed on January of 2009. It has a 12 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a maximum resolution of 4000 x 3000.

The FS15 is positioned #126 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras and all-around #1205 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. Remember to look at our Advanced camera search to see camera ratings based on your personal factors.

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The following is a diagram of various criteria used in the scoring system.

Panasonic FS15 family

The Panasonic FS15 comes with a history of related cameras. Here, you can view all earlier and most recent models as well as important specs.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FP5 front thumbnailPanasonic FP5
FS15 vs FP5
35-140mm
F3.5-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2011
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FP7 front thumbnailPanasonic FP7
FS15 vs FP7
35-140mm
F3.5-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2011
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Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FP3 front thumbnailPanasonic FP3
FS15 vs FP3
35-140mm
F3.5-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FP1 front thumbnailPanasonic FP1
FS15 vs FP1
35-140mm
F3.5-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2010
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FP2 front thumbnailPanasonic FP2
FS15 vs FP2
35-140mm
F3.5-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FP8 front thumbnailPanasonic FP8
FS15 vs FP8
28-128mm
F3.3-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009
Photography Glossary
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FS12 front thumbnailPanasonic FS12
FS15 vs FS12
31-124mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FS15 front thumbnailPanasonic FS1529-145mm
F3.3-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009

Panasonic FS15 Pros and Cons

Below is a selection of pluses and minuses of the Panasonic FS15 based on features which are usually viewed as important in a camera.

above average min ISO (80)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
built in zoom lens (29-145mm 5.0 x zoom)
comes with HDMI socket
has built in flash
cannot change lens (fixed lens mount)
cannot use external flash
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
lack of aperture priority mode
low megapixels (12MP)
low resolution screen (230 k dots)
manual exposure not available
manual focus not available
max frames per second low (2.0 frames per second)
no articulating screen
no external microphone socket
no headphone socket
no phase detect auto focus
no RAW support
no shutter priority
no Timelapse function
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inches)
slow at full zoom (f5.9)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
video res low (640 x 480 pxls)
wide angle not good (29mm)
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Panasonic FS15 Sensor specifications

The dimension of the sensor in the Panasonic FS15 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 4000 x 3000 pixels and aspect ratios of 16:9, 4:3 and 3:2. The camera has got Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization as the latter can easily cause cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 12MP and has a native ISO range of 80 - 1600. This ISO can also be increased digitally to a high of 6400. Sadly, RAW format is not supported therefore the user has less margin for error.

The graphic underneath shows the FS15's sensor dimensions when compared to other common sizes. The FS15 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.9 and is pointed out in green.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 sensor size Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

To get an idea of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Panasonic FS15 dimensions

Panasonic FS15 weighs about 0.30 pounds (136g or 4.80 oz) and features outer size of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9"). The weight of normal Ultracompact camera is 121g so the Panasonic FS15 is weightier when compared to its competitors.

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Down below is a picture of the Panasonic FS15 next to a soft drink to help you have a sense of its scale.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 dimensions scale

The top view underneath will provide the button design on the FS15.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 topview buttons dials

Panasonic FS15 Lens specifications

The FS15 includes a fixed lens featuring a focal range of 29-145mm making it a 5.0 x zoom which won't be outstanding but it will probably be useful in some cases.

At the widest 29mm, the lens provides an aperture of f3.3 making it somewhat slow and not great in low light conditions and you may find it hard to capture good bokeh. You might also have to raise the ISO setting causing noisy photographs. Towards the tele end, 145mm comes with f5.9 which is quite slow and you may need to go with slow shutter speeds.

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Panasonic FS15 Connectivity

The FS15 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras that come with NFC and Bluetooth compatibility are able to be used wirelessly through smartphones. You are able to transfer photos and oftentimes change settings with no need to connect physically to the camera.

Some applications even give a Liveview and click the shutter whenever you aren't near the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it can easily be connected to an external monitor. The majority of cameras enable you to recharge the battery with the USB socket.

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Panasonic FS15 Video specifications

The maximum video resolution in the Panasonic FS15 is 640 x 480 and it can shoot in Motion JPEG format. 480p is low by today's requirements. You really should go for a minimum 1080p resolution for video recording. The camera doesn't feature a mic and headphone port which means that you have got little control over your audio. It is perhaps a better idea to consider a different model should you want good audio in your video clips.

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Panasonic FS15 Weather Sealing

There is no weather sealing for the Panasonic FS15 so you need to be cautious in wet or dusty situations.

Panasonic FS15 Display and Viewfinder

The Panasonic FS15 has a 2.7" fixed screen supporting a resolution of 230k dots.

Sadly the screen is not a touch screen.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 screen and viewfinder Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing

The View Finder specs regarding Panasonic FS15 are below:

  • ViewFinder None

In those sunny outdoor situations which make the camera screens washed out and tough to view, viewfinders are rather helpful.

Panasonic FS15 Shutter specifications

Panasonic FS15 has the ability to shoot continuously at 2.0 frames per second. The maximum shutter speed is 1/2000s.

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Panasonic FS15 Flash and Hot shoe specifications

Panasonic FS15 has got only in-built flash without external flash ability.

Panasonic FS15 Autofocusing specifications

Panasonic FS15 has got just Contrast Detect Auto Focus and is missing Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot quicker and precise when compared to Contrast Detect focusing.

The Sensor has 11 focus points to select from. Panasonic FS15 has no manual focus. Manual focus ability is useful in low light scenarios or you want more precise control on focus.

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Panasonic FS15 Battery life

The general Ultracompact camera battery life is 214. Nikon L32 has the highest possible (320) battery life in this type of cameras.

Underneath is a listing of Ultracompact cameras that have the highest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth
Photography Glossary

Panasonic FS15 for various kinds of photography

The following bar chart presents a analysis of the Panasonic FS15 for various kinds of photography. To learn more, go to the specific paragraph underneath.

Panasonic FS15 Portrait photography information

The Panasonic FS15 has a points total of 21 which is lousy, meaning that it is not really very good to use for portrait photography. Photographing portraits leans heavily to sensor size, RAW support plus the ability to use off-camera lighting.

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no manual focus
manual exposure not possible
can't use external flash
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW files

Panasonic FS15 Street photography info

With a decent score of 57, the Panasonic FS15 is relatively acceptable to buy for street photography. A decent street photography camera has a perfect balance of image quality plus portability.

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image stabilization (Optical)
screen is fixed
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files

Panasonic FS15 as a Sports photography camera

A lousy sports photography points total of 25 suggests the Panasonic FS15 is not really very good for taking pictures of sports. A camera should have excellent focusing and fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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built in image stabilization (Optical)
painfully slow continuous shooting (2.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
low resolution (12 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect autofocus

Panasonic FS15 Travel photography highlights

Portability is super crucial in getting a camera for travel. Over-all, the Panasonic FS15 gets a decent 51 for a travelling camera which makes it relatively adequate to take on your trips.

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has built in flash
doesn't have Timelapse recording
low MP (12MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
wide angle not fantastic (29mm)
slow max aperture (f3.3)

Panasonic FS15 Landscape photography features

If you find yourself planning to buy a digital camera for landscape photographs, the most critical factor is going to be image quality. The Panasonic FS15 and it's lousy rating of 28 as a landscape camera is not really very good in the current marketplace.

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built in image stabilization (Optical)
no manual focus
can't swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (29mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.3)
small screen (2.7 inch)
no manual control
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
doesn't have Time Lapse recording

Panasonic FS15 Vlogging info

A camera for vlogging should really come with a articulating display, microphone port and ideally IBIS. Considering all the details, the Panasonic FS15 is not really very good for vlogging as it comes to a lousy score of 25.

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built in image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not the best (29mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
video quality not great (640 x 480 pixels)
missing external microphone jack

Panasonic FS15 Alternatives

If you are interested in alternatives to the FS15, here is a list of the highest placed cameras that fall under the family of Ultracompact.

The graph listed below will give you a bird's eye view of the FS15 versus it's top rated competitors shown earlier.

Here are a few more cameras you may look into as alternate options. To see a full comparison, click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Panasonic
Model
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15
Category
Ultracompact
Released
2009-01-16
Physical type
Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor area
27.7mm²
Sensor resolution
12 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
16:9, 4:3 and 3:2
Maximum resolution
4000 x 3000
RAW images
Maximum native ISO
1600
Maximum boosted ISO
6400
Minimum native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Number of focus points
11
Lens
Lens mounting type
fixed lens
Lens focal range
29-145mm (5.0x)
Maximum aperture
f/3.3-5.9
Macro focus distance
5cm
Focal length multiplier
5.9
Screen
Type of display
Fixed Type
Display sizing
2.7 inches
Display resolution
230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO All around score
not tested
DXO Color Depth score
not tested
DXO Dynamic range score
not tested
DXO Low light score
not tested
Features
Slowest shutter speed
60s
Maximum shutter speed
1/2000s
Continuous shooting rate
2.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash settings
Auto, Auto Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced Off
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions
848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution
640x480
Video file format
Motion JPEG
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
136g (0.30 lbs)
Dimensions
97 x 54 x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9")
Other
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage type
SD/MMC/SDHC card, Internal
Card slots
One
Retail price
$180