- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Panasonic Lumix ZS20
- 14 MP
- 20x f/3.3
- 1/2.5" CMOS
- 3" LCD
Released January, 2012
Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Sep, 2012)Furthermore, it’s also possible to tag movies with GPS data.
Conclusion Check out the Panasonic Lumix ZS20
First reviewed February, 2012
Features Key features of the Panasonic Lumix ZS20
14 MP
1/2.5"
Rated 100% by by rob-d (Sep, 2012)That being said, I wanted a camera that was small enough to easily fit into a pocket, a better than average zoom, could shoot panoramic shots, intuitive user interface and had better than average HD video.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 18 MP    | 20 MP |
Lumix ZS20 by raindrop07006 (Jul, 2012)Megapixel format packs a whopping 5.4Mb pictures at the highest resolution of 4320x3240 pixels!
Lumix ZS20 by Angelina (Jun, 2012)I wish Panasonic would put back the Picture Adjustment mode to next year's model and increase the megapixels on the still images from video to at least 5 or 7 megs.
sensor size
Lumix ZS20 by stevefoobar--Steve (May, 2012)Furthermore, with single images files as large as almost 13 MB in size from the 14.1 megapixel sensor, you have more than enough pixels to do some serious Photoshop work even without having RAW files to work with.
Lumix ZS20 by stevefoobar--Steve (May, 2012)The still images are very high quality and have relatively low noise for a camera that has this many pixels in the sensor.
wide angle lens
aperture size
Lumix ZS20 by Martin (May, 2012)The camera takes a burst of exposures, bracketing the aperture, and then automatically combines them to produce a single image with a well-lit foreground.
Lumix ZS20 by BLU (Oct, 2012)The Panasonic ZS20 is the first I've used that has the combination of a very fast lens and a good stabilizer.
zoom range
| 0x | 5x   | 20x |
Lumix ZS20 by Mike-Brosnan (Nov, 2012)The camera is comfortable to hold, controls are reasonably intuitive, and it has good optical zoom and GPS.
Lumix ZS20 by Ashlea-Beers (Nov, 2012)The intelligent zoom is very good on both cameras to go beyond the optical zoom, which surprised me.
body size
105 x 59 x 28 mm
111 x 76 x 85 mm
107 x 76 x 40 mm
Lumix ZS20 by Tony-T.-Kao--HolycowShe complained the picture qualities were not as sharp as her other older compact cameras.
Lumix ZS20 by ChristianAndCool--ChristianIn any case, the camera looks good, feels solid, and had almost dream-features on paper for a compact camera.
Performance Real world tests of Panasonic Lumix ZS20
battery life
260 photos
350 photos
320 photos
Lumix ZS20 by v1per (Aug, 2012)I had used Casio, Olympus, Canon, and Nikon in the past, and the Panasonic Lumix ZS20 beat them all in picture quality (the most important factor in my opinion for a camera), ease of use, battery life, number of useful features, etc..
Lumix ZS20 by J.-S-Thomas--JethroI am very impressed with this camera, very easy to use with excellent battery life over 250 shots on one battery.
max continuous shooting
Lumix ZS20 by Martin (May, 2012)The camera also has an intelligent burst mode that takes just one shot of a static object but automatically takes a burst if the object is moving.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
Contrast detection focusing system -
HD video -
Fewer buttons, interact directly with menus -
10 fps -
Records the location of your photos automatically -
HD video -
Create 3D photos to view on a 3D TV -
23 -
Create slow motion video -
Combines multiple photos together to capture both bright and dark areas -
Stitches together multiple photos into a single ultra-wide view -
28 mm -
206 g -
105 x 59 x 28 mm
cons
-
f/3.3 -
20x -
260 -
14 MP -
The screen is fixed in place -
Jan, 2012
Reviews Word on the street
 |  
|
|---|---|
 | Rated by 235 users at amazon.com Rated 80% by by Andrew-Griffin (Jul, 2012) |
Lens
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 100% by by ctvuong (Jul, 2012)This may be the best camera I 've had, very sharp pictures, excellent zoom, fitted for my pocket that what I want.
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 100% by by J.-S-Thomas--JethroQuick turn on time for those shots needed quick out of the pocket, the zoom is fast the picture quality is excellent the steady hand feature at extended zoom worked beautifully.
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 100% by by Maksym (Oct, 2012)I have done many beach pictures of ships out in the sea, i am surprised every time with how capable the zoom is to pick up small details.
Zoom
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 100% by by gman33--gman33 (Aug, 2012)If you've got decent light, you can take handheld shots at full zoom that are pretty close to tack sharp.
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 100% by by Roxie (Apr, 2012)I took pictures with both cameras side by side and the quality of the picture id much better and the extra zoom is great.
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 80% by by J.-L.-Lawson (Oct, 2012)QVGA) I look forward to about two years from now where it'll be 220 fps at 14MP...Zoom shots - The optical zoom is excellent - my favorite test (at least for this camera) is to find a small item about 40-50 feet away, then zoom in on it and see what level of detail I can get.
Image quality
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 80% by by Ashlea-Beers (Nov, 2012)I couldn't tell any difference between the two cameras when it came to nighttime scenery with light (a dark street with streetlights) or natural daylight pictures.
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 80% by by A.-Nahrwold--Löölölölööl (Aug, 2012)So, I really like my new camera and all the drawbacks are compensated by the good picture quality, the speed to take a picture.
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 100% by by Timothy-Andrews--Toma (Aug, 2012)I replaced a Canon Powershot and was pleasantly surprised by improvement and enhancement of both photo quality and camera features.
Screen
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 40% by by Porcheto--porchetoI'm giving 2 stars only because the camera has many features ( like GPS - which I don't really use, manual settings for aperture and shutter and nice touchscreen that works fine).
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 100% by by Just-Another-Geek--vikast (Jul, 2012)The TZ30 has double the zoom, panoroma mode, HD video recording, touch screen and significantly faster performance than the TZ3.
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 100% by by Rolla-Gravett--Rolla-Gravett (May, 2012)I set the LCD to auto adjust by going to Menu Set in any program mode, such as Aperture, Setup Menu, page 3, LCD Mode and set it for A (auto power LCD).
Video
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 100% by by IKU1758 (Jun, 2012)The HD video recording is amazing and the pictures and video were easy to download and edit.
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 60% by by HuntersPad (Oct, 2012)This Camera is GREAT I mean GREAT for 1080p Video its awesome!
Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | Rated 100% by by Kassie (Oct, 2012)The photos are great,very clear even taking something in motion.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V 3-way tie: Highest ISO Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V vs Panasonic Lumix ZS20 |
 | 2 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V 2-way tie: Best macro lens Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V vs Panasonic Lumix ZS20 |
 | 3 | Canon PowerShot G15 Highest resolution screen Canon PowerShot G15 vs Panasonic Lumix ZS20 |
 | 4 | Nikon Coolpix S9300 4-way tie: Fast max shutter speed Nikon Coolpix S9300 vs Panasonic Lumix ZS20 |
 | 5 | Canon PowerShot SX260 HS OK benchmarked shot to shot times Canon PowerShot SX260 HS vs Panasonic Lumix ZS20 |
 | 8 | Panasonic Lumix TZ40 Has WiFi TZ40 vs ZS20 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Editions Editions of the Panasonic ZS20 / TZ30
| Price | Edition | Model | Continents | Compare | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | | ZS20 | North America | | ||||
 | | TZ30 | Europe | | ||||
Popular Questions
May 10, 2012
A great all around camera that allows me to shoot great pictures
My last camera was an Olympus SP 560 UZ. It has been lost and I miss having a camera with a good zoom. I never fully understood all that my Olympus could do. Going to Ireland in a few weeks...
Visitor
8
Answers May 29, 2012
Best for low light photography
Overall image quality is most important to me. The considerably greater number of focus points on the Panasonic ZS 20, the Leica lense, and faster shutter speed are all important to me; however,...
Visitor
6
Answers October 29, 2012
Depth of field. Fast Shutter Release
I would like to isolate my subject with good depth of field focus control. A fast shutter release is important to me for sports.
Visitor
3
Answers Unanswered Questions
- 41 discussions
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January 18, 2013
What is the best overall compact zoom camera?
I have a Nikon D3 and many Nikkor lenses. Of course the image quality is superb compared to compact point shoot digital cameras but I need a backup camera for times when I don't want to or D3...
Visitor
0
Answers January 17, 2013
Vacations, Backpacking
I am looking for a camera that has great image quality, is fast to take wildlife photos, and is reliable. I was leaning toward the sony, but you have me thinking.
Visitor
0
Answers December 20, 2012
Low light picture taking
I'm a mom of four replacing an older model lumix that broke. I have a canon slr that is seeming obsolete compared to the newer hand helds. I need a camera that takes good photos indoors with a I...
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0
Answers Community Find out what the Sortable community is saying about the Panasonic Lumix ZS20
5
people have recommended the
Panasonic Lumix ZS20Are you an expert on the Panasonic Lumix ZS20?
Participate in thought-provoking discussions to show off your knowledge!
Nikon Coolpix P510
- 15.9 MP
- 41.7x f/3.0
- 1/2.5" CMOS
- 3" LCD
3 more Sortable users recommended the Nikon Coolpix P510 over the Panasonic Lumix ZS20.
View all discussions | View comparison 
Beginner I
3
votes Lighter and smaller, easy to carry, suits traveling. More photos per change. Shoots higher definition video, good for recording especially for family activities. We don't really need so in...
- 0 comments
- May 10, 2012
- Reply to: A great all around camera that allows me to shoot great pictures
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V
- 18 MP
- 20x f/3.2
- 1/2.5" EXMOR
- 3" LCD
2 more Sortable users recommended the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V over the Panasonic Lumix ZS20.
View all discussions | View comparison 
Beginner II
0
votes Two reasons; the lens and the battery life. Slight trade off on fstop 3.3 to 6.4 but better than Sony
- 0 comments
- May 29, 2012
- Reply to: Best for low light photography
