- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Canon PowerShot G15
- Nikon Coolpix P7700
- Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V
- Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ48
Rated 100% by by Bullminator--1080P (May, 2012)At normal viewing sizes, the photos look stunning at ISO 100-1600.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V compared to the Panasonic Lumix ZS20
MP18
1/2.5"
Rated 80% by by austin_LarryThe interface was well thought out and the playback and screen quality is very good and I haven't even used the highest screen resolution.
14 MP
1/2.5"
megapixels
| 0 MP | 18 MP   | 20 MP |
Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V by Kiyo-M.The sensor on the HX30's true EFFECTIVE resolution is more around 9MP and increased to 18MP, so the quality is lost.
Lumix ZS20 by raindrop07006 (Jul, 2012)Megapixel format packs a whopping 5.4Mb pictures at the highest resolution of 4320x3240 pixels!
sensor size
Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V by Smboe22216 mp is huge size for a compact point and shoot with a small sensor.
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.
wide angle lens
Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V by T.-Ishizue--Tom (May, 2012)Unfortunately, it appears that Sony decided to extend the maximum focal length (16x to 20x) at the expense of the minimum wide angle (25 mm).
aperture size
Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V by Coug-Moog--s_gil (May, 2012)If you lean toward capturing distant subjects, the telescope on the front of this camera is very nice, and in good light its limited aperture is obviously a non-issue.
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.
zoom range
| 0x | 20x | 20x |
Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V by PuckWell, I decided what I really wanted is a all in one camera that is easy to carry, has a big zoom, easy to use, has great video, and can upload to my phone.
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.
body size
107 x 62 x 35 mm
105 x 59 x 28 mm
Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V by B.-Morris (Feb, 2013)The camera is very light weight and small; it easily fits in my small purse or a jacket pocket which I had already expected.
Lumix ZS20 by Tony-T.-Kao--HolycowShe complained the picture qualities were not as sharp as her other older compact cameras.
Performance Real world tests of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V vs Panasonic Lumix ZS20
battery life
320 photos
260 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..
max continuous shooting
Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V by Scott-Peterson--I.T.-Sme (Dec, 2012)It has a 10 frame per second burst mode-but only for one second before it has to write the images to the card.
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.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the Panasonic Lumix ZS20
| Much higher resolution screen | 921 k dots | vs | 460 k dots |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 2x higher resolution screen | |||
| Significantly higher light sensitivity | 12,800 ISO | vs | 6,400 ISO |
| 2x higher light sensitivity; Avoid blur in low light situations | |||
| Much higher resolution | 18 MP | vs | 14 MP |
| Around 30% higher resolution; Capture more detail, good for large prints | |||
| Faster lens | f/3.2 | vs | f/3.3 |
| Almost the same | |||
| Better macro lens | 10 mm | vs | 30 mm |
| 3x closer macro focus; Take great close-up photos | |||
| Significantly more highly reviewed by consumers | 86.33% | vs | 81.44% |
| Around 10% more highly reviewed by consumers | |||
| More photos per charge | 320 | vs | 260 |
| 60 more shots; Longer battery life | |||
| Longer long exposure | 30 s | vs | 15 s |
| 2x longer long exposure; Capture creative photos such as night sky movement | |||
Advantages compared to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V
| Has a touch screen | Yes | vs | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somewhat common; Fewer buttons, interact directly with menus | |||
| Wider lens | 24 mm | vs | 25 mm |
| Almost the same | |||
| Significantly more contrast-detection focus points | 23 | vs | 9 |
| 14 more contrast detection focus points; Better autofocus in low light settings | |||
| Shoots high speed video | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Create slow motion video | |||
| Faster max shutter speed | 1/2000 s | vs | 1/1600 s |
| 20% faster max shutter speed; capture fast action | |||
| Slightly lighter | 206 g | vs | 254 g |
| Around 20% lighter | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V | Panasonic Lumix ZS20 | ||
 |   Rated by 87 users at amazon.com Rated 80% by by Puck Rated 80% by by Kiyo-M. Rated 80% by by Kiyo-M. |  Rated by 235 users at amazon.com Rated 60% by by HuntersPad (Oct, 2012) Rated 100% by by Maksym (Oct, 2012) Rated 80% by by J.-L.-Lawson (Oct, 2012) | |
|---|---|---|---|
wifi
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V | Rated 80% by by Monica-Cheveresan (Jun, 2012)The HX30V also features built-in Wi-Fi acting as its own access point, allowing photo transfer to a smartphone even when not in Wi-Fi range.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V | Rated 100% by by Bullminator--1080P (May, 2012)But the first two features are very useful, making the WiFi support of the DSC-HX30V over the DSC-HX20V definitely worth it for me.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V | Rated 20% by by Mark-Steiner (May, 2012)Save the $20 and stick to the HX20v until Sony gets the bugs works out becasue the HX30V's WIFI isnt there yet.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 2 | Nikon Coolpix P7700 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark |
 | 3 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V Rated the best by consumers |
 | 4 | Canon PowerShot SX260 HS 2-way tie: Shoots video in 24p |
 | 6 | Casio Exilim EX-ZR300 Most shots per battery charge |
 | 7 | Nikon Coolpix S9300 3-way tie: Fast max shutter speed |
Unanswered Questions
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December 3, 2012
Family photos, landscapes, and general photography
I have a canon eos 600d but am wanting a good smaller camera, am torn between these two, what would be better for taking family pictures and scenic pictures?
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Answers May 31, 2012
Great photos less noise.
I use the camera for my blogging photos. I want something to carry around with me everyday. I want the best quality camera, photos and video.
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Answers May 29, 2012
Brand and longetivity
Taking photos in low lightfamily photos outdoor vacation and travel my budget is $325
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Answers 