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Panasonic FS42

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 front
 
  • 10MP - 1/2.5" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1000 (Boost to 6400)
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 33-132mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
  • 132g - 98 x 55 x 22mm
  • Revealed April 2009
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
95
Imaging
33
Features
10
Overall
23

Panasonic FS42 overview

Panasonic FS42 is Panasonic's Ultracompact camera originally released on April of 2009. The camera houses a 10MP, CCD 1/2.5" size sensor with a peak resolution of 3648 x 2736.

The FS42 is placed #150 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras & all round #1262 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. You can look at our Smart camera filter to get camera rankings based on your custom requirements.

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Below is a chart of multiple criteria used in the scoring system.

Panasonic FS42 family

The Panasonic FS42 has a history of related cameras. Down below, you can see all previous and more recent models as well as main specifications.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FS42 front thumbnailPanasonic FS4233-132mm
F2.8-5.9
10MP1/2.5"2009
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FS7 front thumbnailPanasonic FS7
FS42 vs FS7
33-132mm
F2.8-5.9
10MP1/2.5"2009
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Panasonic FS42 Pros and Cons

Here is a selection of good and bad points of the Panasonic FS42 based on features that are oftentimes seen as crucial in a camera.

flash built-in
good min ISO (80)
in built lens has zoom (33-132mm 4.0 x zoom)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
does not have HDMI support
does not have headphone jack
does not have mic jack
does not have Time Lapse function
external flash not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
focusing manually not possible
lack of aperture priority mode
lack of image stabilization
lack of phase detect AF
lack of RAW format
low fps (2.0 frames/s)
low megapixels (10MP)
low resolution screen (230 k dot)
max ISO too low (1,000)
max zoom aperture not good (f5.9)
no manual mode
no shutter priority mode
screen is fixed
small sensor size (1/2.5")
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
tiny screen (2.5 inches)
video resolution low (640 x 480 pxls)
wide angle not fantastic (33mm)
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Panasonic FS42 Sensor specs

The measurement of the sensor on the Panasonic FS42 is 5.744mm x 4.308mm (1/2.5"). The 25 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 3648 x 2736 pixels with aspect ratios of 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9.

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The CCD sensor has 10MP and delivers a native ISO range of 80 to 1000. The ISO can be widened digitally to a maximum of 6400. Unfortunately, RAW files are not saved therefore you have less room to maneuver in post.

The picture below illustrates the FS42's sensor size compared to other common sizes. The FS42 sensor has a crop factor of 6.3 and is highlighted in green.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 sensor size Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

To get an understanding of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Panasonic FS42 dimensions

Panasonic FS42 is 0.29 lb (132 grams or 4.66 oz) & the overall size of the camera is 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9"). The weight of general Ultracompact camera is 121 grams and the Panasonic FS42 is very similar when compared to various competitors.

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Below is a visual of the Panasonic FS42 with a softdrink so you're able to get a feel for its size.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 dimensions scale

The top view below will provide the button layout on the FS42.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 topview buttons dials

Panasonic FS42 Lens details

The FS42 comes with a built in lens with a focal range of 33-132mm making it a 4.0 x zoom which may not be exceptional nevertheless it can be very helpful in some situations.

At it's widest 33mm, it comes with an aperture of f2.8 making it quite sluggish and not good for low light occasions and you may find it difficult to get a shallow depth of field. You will also have to increase your ISO setting producing noisy files. On the long end, 132mm comes at f5.9 making it very sluggish and you might have to utilize slow shutter speeds.

Photography Glossary

Panasonic FS42 Connectivity

The FS42 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Cameras that have NFC or Bluetooth connectivity are able to be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You are able to copy pictures and sometimes alter settings without the hassle of connecting physically with the camera.

Many apps also provide a Liveview and press the shutter when you aren't close to the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI port, it can easily be hooked up to an external screen. A good number of cameras will allow you to charge the battery through the USB socket.

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Panasonic FS42 Video details

The highest video quality on the Panasonic FS42 is 640 x 480 and you can save in Motion JPEG format. 480p is awful for today's standards. You really should go for at least FUll HD quality for good video. The body doesn't include a microphone or headphone jack which means that you have got zero control over the sound. It is probably best to find an alternative camera should you require decent sound for your video clips.

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Panasonic FS42 Weather Sealing

Panasonic FS42 doesn't have weather proofing so rainy conditions can easily damage the camera.

Panasonic FS42 Display and Viewfinder

The Panasonic FS42 is equipped with a 2.5" fixed display screen with a resolution of 230k dots.

Unfortunately the display screen is not a touch screen.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 screen and viewfinder Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The ViewFinder specifications for Panasonic FS42 are as follows:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are very handy in bright outdoor conditions which will make the camera display washed out and difficult to see.

Panasonic FS42 Shutter details

Panasonic FS42 continuous shooting speed is 2.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/2000 sec.

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Panasonic FS42 Flash and Hot shoe details

Panasonic FS42 comes with just built in flash lacking external flash ability.

Panasonic FS42 Autofocus details

Panasonic FS42 comes with only Contrast Based AF & doesn't have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more snappier and exact than Contrast Based autofocusing.

Panasonic FS42 has no manual focusing. Manual focusing can be good in low light or you need to have more accurate control on depth of field.

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Panasonic FS42 Battery life

The typical Ultracompact camera battery life is 214. Nikon L32 features the highest (320) battery life in this kind of cameras.

Following is a collection of Ultracompact cameras having the strongest battery life:

Panasonic FS42 for specific categories of photography

The following bar chart indicates a overview of the Panasonic FS42 for specific categories of photography. To see more, have a look at the specific section below.

Panasonic FS42 Portrait photography info

The Panasonic FS42 receives a points tally of 19 which is bad, meaning that it is just not very good for portrait images. Taking portraits favors heavily to sensor size, RAW support & potential to use off-camera flash.

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manual focus not available
manual mode not available
cannot use external flash
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.5")
does not have RAW format

Panasonic FS42 Street photography details

With a modest points total of 47, the Panasonic FS42 is somewhat suitable for street photography. A decent street photography camera gives a perfect balance of image quality plus portability.

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no moving screen
lack of image stabilization
sensor size is very small (1/2.5")
no RAW files
maximum ISO low (1,000)

Panasonic FS42 Sports photography info

A bad sports photography rating of 16 means the Panasonic FS42 is just not very good for shooting sports. A camera needs to have very good tracking plus shutter speeds for sports photography.

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max fps low (2.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
no image stabilization
resolution not great (10MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.5")
lack of phase detect auto focus

Panasonic FS42 Travel photography details

Weight is extremely crucial when selecting a camera for travel. In general, the Panasonic FS42 gets a decent 51 as a travelling camera which is somewhat acceptable to purchase for your travels.

Photography Glossary
built-in flash
doesn't have Timelapse recording
resolution not great (10MP)
does not offer selfie friendly display
wide angle not fantastic (33mm)
slow max aperture (f2.8)

Panasonic FS42 Landscape photography information

For anybody planning to pick a digital camera for landscape pictures, the most vital factor will no doubt be image quality. The Panasonic FS42 and it's bad score of 22 as a landscape camera is just not very good amongst its rivals.

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manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not good (33mm)
sluggish max aperture (f2.8)
small screen (2.5 inches)
no manual mode
no image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (10 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.5")
maximum ISO low (1,000)
has no RAW format
doesn't have Time Lapse mode

Vlogging with Panasonic FS42

A camera for vlogging really should have a moving display, microphone port and ideally image stabilization. Considering all the details, the Panasonic FS42 is just not very good as a vlog camera as it receives a bad rating of 22.

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wide angle not the best (33mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen is not selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
low video resolution (640 x 480 resolution)
lack of external microphone port

Panasonic FS42 Alternatives

If you are shopping for replacements to the FS42, here is a collection of the highest placed cameras that fall into the class of Ultracompact.

The diagram just below offers you a bird's eye view of the FS42 versus it's top ranked competitors suggested earlier.

There are a bunch of cameras you may consider as alternatives. To browse through a detailed comparison, visit the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Manufacturer
Panasonic
Model type
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42
Class
Ultracompact
Revealed
2009-04-17
Body design
Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
1/2.5"
Sensor dimensions
5.744 x 4.308mm
Sensor surface area
24.7mm²
Sensor resolution
10 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution
3648 x 2736
RAW support
Highest native ISO
1000
Highest boosted ISO
6400
Min native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
33-132mm (4.0x)
Maximal aperture
f/2.8-5.9
Macro focusing range
5cm
Focal length multiplier
6.3
Screen
Display type
Fixed Type
Display sizing
2.5 inches
Display resolution
230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Lowest shutter speed
60 seconds
Highest shutter speed
1/2000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed
2.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
6.30 m
Flash settings
Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions
848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution
640x480
Video format
Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
132 gr (0.29 pounds)
Dimensions
98 x 55 x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9")
Other
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage
SD/SDHC card, Internal
Storage slots
One
Retail cost
$580