Panasonic Lumix DMC FS62 vs Olympus FE-4000 Comparison
Panasonic Lumix DMC FS62
Olympus FE-4000
The Panasonic Lumix DMC FS62 and Olympus FE-4000 are two easy to use pocket cameras. They are at the cheaper end of the market and there is little difference in price between these two cameras.
Basic Specification
Panasonic Lumix DMC FS62
10 megapixels
4x optical zoom
2.5 inch LCD screen
Macro Focusing: 5cm
Dimensions: 97 x 54.4 x 21.2mm
Weight: 115g
Memory Cards : SD and SDHC
Olympus FE-4000
12 megapixels
4x optical zoom
2.7 inch LCD screen
Macro focusing 4cm
Dimensions: 95 x 57 x 22.4mm
Weight: 106g
Memory Cards : Micro SD and xD
Features
The FE-4000 offers more megapixels, a larger screen and a closer macro focusing distance. Although the two cameras offer the same amount of zoom the Lumix DMC FS62 has a feature that allows you to increase the amount of zoom if you shoot at fewer megapixels. 7.1x zoom becomes available if you shoot at 3 megapixels or below.
Design
Whether you prefer the look of one camera to the other is likely to be a matter of personal taste. For me I like the design of the cameras in this part of the Panasonic range. The design of the Lumix DMC FS62 is simple and unfussy. The matt finish adds a touch of quality.
Start Up and Shutter Lag
This appears to be an area where compromise has been made. Both cameras are slower than other cameras made by Olympus and Panasonic. The Olympus FE-4000 was particularly slow in my tests. A single shot timed 1.61 seconds as opposed to 0.47 seconds by the Lumix DMC FS62. For five shots the FE-4000 took over 40 seconds making it one of the slowest cameras I have ever tested.
Power Supply
Both cameras use lithium ion batteries.
Picture Quality
Taking the price into account the Lumix DMC FS62 did a fantastic job. I found the sharpness of the photos to be very good indeed. Overall the picture quality from this camera would be inline with the level you would expect from a much more expensive camera. The same could not be said for the FE-4000. I thought this camera struggled quite a lot.
Ease of Use
In order to keep the price down both manufacturers have left out some features. The upside of this is that it makes both cameras easy to use. The FE-4000 in particular has few features to confuse anyone.
Verdict
In my view the Panasonic Lumix DMC FS62 is a clear winner based on my tests. It outperforms the vast majority of cameras in and around this price bracket and offers great value for money. Although the Olympus FE-4000 is the slightly cheaper option at the time of writing this comparison I do not feel it offers anything like the same value for money.
Product Shots
Front View
Panasonic Lumix DMC FS62
Olympus FE-4000
Back View
Panasonic Lumix DMC FS62
Olympus FE-4000
Top View
Panasonic Lumix DMC FS62
Olympus FE-4000
