Canon A3500 IS vs Panasonic ZS20
Portability
96 Imaging
39 Features
35 Overall
37
96 Imaging
39 Features
35 Overall
37
Portability
92 Imaging
37 Features
46 Overall
40
92 Imaging
37 Features
46 Overall
40
Canon A3500 IS vs Panasonic ZS20 Key Specs
Canon A3500 IS
(Full Review)
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-140mm (F2.8-6.9) lens
- 135g - 98 x 56 x 20mm
- Revealed January 2013
Panasonic ZS20
(Full Review)
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-480mm (F3.3-6.4) lens
- 206g - 105 x 59 x 28mm
- Introduced April 2012
- Alternate Name is Lumix DMC-TZ30
- Succeeded the Panasonic ZS15
- Renewed by Panasonic ZS25
Photography Glossary Canon A3500 IS vs Panasonic ZS20 Overview
The following is a thorough assessment of the Canon A3500 IS and Panasonic ZS20, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Canon and Panasonic. The resolution of the A3500 IS (16MP) and the ZS20 (14MP) is relatively similar and they come with the same exact sensor dimensions (1/2.3").
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe A3500 IS was announced 9 months after the ZS20 and they are of a similar generation. Both cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before getting straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short summation of how the A3500 IS matches up versus the ZS20 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot A3500 IS and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20. The whole galleries are available at Canon A3500 IS Gallery and Panasonic ZS20 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon A3500 IS over the Panasonic ZS20
| A3500 IS | ZS20 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | January 2013 |  | April 2012 | Newer by 9 months |
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS20 over the Canon A3500 IS
| ZS20 | A3500 IS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen resolution | 460k |  | 230k | Sharper screen (+230k dot) |
Common features in the Canon A3500 IS and Panasonic ZS20
| A3500 IS | ZS20 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus |  | Lack of manual focus | ||
| Screen type | Fixed |  | Fixed | Fixed screen |
| Screen sizing | 3" |  | 3" | Equivalent screen sizing |
| Selfie screen |  | Lack of selfie screen | ||
| Touch friendly screen |  | Quickly navigate |
Canon A3500 IS vs Panasonic ZS20 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Canon A3500 IS features outer measurements of 98mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 135 grams (0.30 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS20 has dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).
Check out the Canon A3500 IS and Panasonic ZS20 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have during that time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the A3500 IS against the ZS20.
Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A3500 IS and ZS20 is 96 and 92 respectively.
Canon A3500 IS vs Panasonic ZS20 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it can be hard to see the difference between sensor dimensions purely by reviewing a spec sheet. The pic here might provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the A3500 IS and ZS20.
As you can see, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same megapixels. You should count on the Canon A3500 IS to deliver greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The fresher A3500 IS is going to have a benefit in sensor tech.
Canon A3500 IS vs Panasonic ZS20 Screen and ViewFinder
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Portrait Comparison
Portrait photography with Canon A3500 IS
Portrait photography with Panasonic ZS20
megapixel count good (16MP)
comes with face detection focus
manual focus not available
no manual mode
no external flash support
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
MP count good (14MP)
focusing manually not possible
no external flash support
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
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Street photography with Canon A3500 IS
Street photography with Panasonic ZS20
image stabilization (Optical)
provides touch to focus
lighter than competition in class (135 grams)
no articulating screen
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
built in image stabilization (Optical)
provides touch focus
lighter than others (206g)
screen is fixed
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
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Canon A3500 IS Sports photography advice
Panasonic ZS20 Sports photography advice
image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
comes with tracking autofocus
slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
not so great battery life (200 per charge)
does not have phase detect auto focus
amazing zoom range (24-480mm 20.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (14MP)
supports tracking focus
sensor is small (1/2.3")
terrible battery power (260 shots)
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
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Canon A3500 IS as a Travel photography camera
Panasonic ZS20 as a Travel photography camera
lighter than competition in class (135g)
provides touch to focus
megapixel count good (16MP)
has built in flash
quite wide (28mm)
no Time Lapse recording
not so great battery life (200 per charge)
does not have a selfie friendly display
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
lighter than others (206g)
provides touch focus
MP count good (14 megapixels)
has built in flash
fairly wide (24mm)
great reach (480mm)
lack of Timelapse function
terrible battery power (260 shots)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape photography with Canon A3500 IS
Landscape photography with Panasonic ZS20
quite wide (28mm)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count good (16MP)
manual focus not available
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
no manual mode
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
not so great battery life (200 CIPA)
no Time Lapse recording
fairly wide (24mm)
screen size is good (3")
built in image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (14 megapixels)
focusing manually not possible
can't switch lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
terrible battery power (260 CIPA)
lack of Timelapse function
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Canon A3500 IS Vlogging features
Panasonic ZS20 Vlogging features
quite wide (28mm)
screen is touchscreen
image stabilization (Optical)
comes with face detection focus
lighter than competition in class (135g)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
does not have a selfie friendly display
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pxls)
no external mic socket
fairly wide (24mm)
touchscreen capability
built in image stabilization (Optical)
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than others (206 grams)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
lack of microphone socket
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Canon A3500 IS vs Panasonic ZS20 Specifications
| Canon PowerShot A3500 IS | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Canon | Panasonic |
| Model type | Canon PowerShot A3500 IS | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 |
| Otherwise known as | - | Lumix DMC-TZ30 |
| Class | Small Sensor Compact | Small Sensor Superzoom |
| Revealed | 2013-01-07 | 2012-04-26 |
| Physical type | Compact | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | DIGIC 4 | - |
| Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
| Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 27.7mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16MP | 14MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Maximum resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4320 x 3240 |
| Maximum native ISO | 1600 | 6400 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| Center weighted AF | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Total focus points | 9 | 23 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | fixed lens | fixed lens |
| Lens zoom range | 28-140mm (5.0x) | 24-480mm (20.0x) |
| Max aperture | f/2.8-6.9 | f/3.3-6.4 |
| Macro focusing distance | 3cm | 3cm |
| Crop factor | 5.8 | 5.9 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display diagonal | 3" | 3" |
| Display resolution | 230 thousand dots | 460 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | None | None |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 15 secs | 15 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/2000 secs |
| Continuous shooting rate | 1.0fps | 10.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 3.00 m | 6.40 m |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (25 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (220 fps) |
| Maximum video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD |
| Microphone port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | Optional | BuiltIn |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 135 grams (0.30 lbs) | 206 grams (0.45 lbs) |
| Dimensions | 98 x 56 x 20mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") | 105 x 59 x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 200 pictures | 260 pictures |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | NB-11L | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Price at launch | $115 | $349 |