Nikon P520 vs Panasonic LZ20: A Hands-on Comparison of Two Small-Sensor Superzooms

As someone who's spent over 15 years rigorously evaluating digital cameras across genres, I’ve come to appreciate that the “bridge” camera category - classic SLR-style bodies with fixed superzoom lenses - offers a blend of convenience and reach perfect for many enthusiasts. Today, I dive deep into an oft-overlooked pair from the early 2010s: the Nikon Coolpix P520 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20. Both small-sensor superzooms aim to deliver versatile zoom ranges and ease of use at modest prices, but they diverge sharply in feature sets and performance nuances.

Having taken these two cameras through the paces in portrait, landscape, wildlife, and travel scenarios, I’ll walk you through their strengths and limitations in everyday shooting. Along the way, I’ll provide technically grounded insights but keep things practical - highlighting what really matters to photographers - so whether you’re looking for a casual all-rounder or a budget telephoto companion, you’ll find clear guidance here.

First Impressions & Physical Handling: Size and Feel in Your Hands

The Nikon P520 presents with a beefier, robust SLR-like body - classic bridge camera ergonomics, complete with a sculpted grip and abundant physical controls. The Panasonic LZ20, by comparison, is slightly more compact and lighter but still retains that boxy “around the lens” form factor typical of superzooms.

During extensive handheld use, I found the Nikon’s larger frame lent itself better to steady shooting, especially at its longer focal lengths. The deeper grip fits naturally, reducing fatigue during extended outings. The Panasonic’s smaller footprint made it more pocketable in a bulky jacket pocket or daypack but felt a bit less substantial when zooming or shooting in low light.

Controls-wise, the Nikon boasts more dedicated dials and buttons for quick access to exposure modes and settings, which seasoned photographers appreciate. The Panasonic’s minimalist body means you rely more on menu diving and fewer physical shortcuts, which can slow down fast-paced shooting.

Ergonomically, if you prioritize tactile feedback and a longer session of shooting comfort, the P520 holds the advantage. Yet if absolute portability and casual simplicity are your focus, the LZ20 nudges ahead.

Design and User Interface: Top-Down Look at Controls and Screen

Examining the top control layout reveals Nikon’s greater aspiration towards enthusiast operation. The P520 has a dedicated mode dial offering PASM options, plus a shutter speed dial on the lens barrel. This layered control interface supports a more manual and deliberate photography approach.

Conversely, the LZ20’s simplified top plate foregoes elaborate dials, targeting beginners or those wanting point-and-shoot ease with limited technical fiddling.

The display screens add to the contrast. Nikon’s 3.2-inch articulated TFT LCD with anti-reflection coating is a joy to use outdoors, allowing versatile shooting angles (low, high, or even selfies). The screen resolution of 921k dots yields crisp detail.

Panasonic’s fixed 3-inch LCD has just 460k dots, limiting clarity, and the absence of articulation hampers creative framing in tight or awkward positions.

The Sensor Battle: Image Quality Fundamentals

At the heart of any camera lies the sensor, and in bridge-style superzooms, the sensor size and technology heavily influence quality.

The Nikon P520 sports an 18-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor measuring 1/2.3-inch (~6.16×4.62mm). The Panasonic LZ20 wields a 16-megapixel CCD sensor of virtually the same dimension (6.08×4.56mm).

The BSI CMOS tech on Nikon’s sensor provides a notable edge in noise performance and dynamic range, particularly at higher ISOs, thanks to its backside-illuminated architecture optimizing light gathering. The Panasonic’s CCD, while capable of sharp daylight images, generally lags in low light, offering less tolerance to noise and a narrower dynamic range.

In real-world shooting, this sensor advantage manifested clearly: the P520 delivered cleaner, more detailed JPEGs at ISO 800 and above, retaining better shadow detail and color fidelity. The LZ20 faced much more visible grain and harsher compression artifacts beyond ISO 400.

The Nikon’s native ISO range from 80 to 3200 is broader as well, supporting night and lower-light uses better than the LZ20’s capped 1600 native ISO (expandable to ISO 6400 but at substantial noise cost).

If absolute image quality is a priority - especially for prints or post-processing - the P520’s sensor technology and resolution provide the stronger foundation.

Lens and Zoom Performance: Reach and Aperture Profiles

One of the defining features of a superzoom is its focal length range and how the lens performs across it.

Nikon P520: 24-1000mm equivalent (41.7× zoom), aperture f/3.0-5.9
Panasonic LZ20: 25-525mm equivalent (21× zoom), aperture f/3.1-5.8

The Nikon’s staggering 41.7× zoom outranges the Panasonic by almost double at the telephoto end. In my experience with wildlife and distant subjects, this extensive reach granted the P520 an undeniable advantage for framing elusive creatures or distant landscapes without cropping later.

The lens sharpness on both cameras is relatively modest, as expected in this class, but the Nikon’s optics deliver better edge-to-edge clarity at wide angles, and the longer zoom range remains surprisingly usable given the size. Of course, shooting at full 1000mm demands steady hands or a tripod to avoid blur, but the built-in optical image stabilization helps tremendously.

The Panasonic LZ20 sticks with a more conventional 21× zoom range suitable for general-purpose travel and casual shooting. Its slightly faster apertures at the tele end don’t confer much practical benefit given sensor constraints and lower ISO capabilities.

For macro enthusiasts, the Nikon can focus down to approximately 1cm, enabling impressive close-ups, while the Panasonic’s minimum focus of 2cm remains respectable but less flexible.

In sum, if versatility in focal lengths and an extended telephoto reach matter, Nikon is the obvious choice.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed: Tracking Subjects in Action

Autofocus systems often make or break a camera’s usability in fast or unpredictable conditions.

Both cameras feature 9 contrast-detection autofocus points, but their implementation diverges. The Panasonic LZ20 supports face-detection AF and contrast AF with continuous focus and tracking available. The Nikon P520 lacks face detection and tracking modes but uses nine contrast detection points with manual focus support.

In practice, I observed the Panasonic’s autofocus to be slower but more consistent in locking onto faces or stationary subjects, thanks to detection algorithms. However, in bright conditions, both performed similarly, with occasional hunting in low light.

Burst shooting speeds spot another difference: Nikon offers a respectable 7 frames per second (fps) continuous shooting - a standout for bridge cameras from that era - while the Panasonic maxes out at a leisurely 1 fps, limiting its utility for sports or wildlife action.

This performance gap suggests the P520 is clearly more suited to dynamic shooting, while the LZ20 leans towards casual, spontaneous stills with less emphasis on capturing fast movement.

Image Stabilization and Shutter Mechanics

Both use optical image stabilization to counteract camera shake, which is essential given extensive zooms.

The Nikon uses a built-in optical stabilization system that performed very well during my handheld telephoto shooting sessions, allowing sharp shots at slower shutter speeds (around 1/125s or less at full zoom).

The Panasonic also offers optical stabilization, though it felt less aggressive and effective in comparison. At the tele end, I found it necessary to increase shutter speed for consistent sharpness.

Regarding shutter range, Nikon’s faster max shutter speed of 1/4000s versus Panasonic’s 1/2000s supports more control over exposure and aperture at wider apertures in bright light.

Video Capabilities: Moving Picture Quality and Formats

When it comes to video, the Nikon P520 delivers full HD 1080p recording at respectable frame rates, supporting decent quality clips for casual videographers. However, it lacks external microphone input, so audio control is limited.

The Panasonic LZ20 lags with 720p recording max at 30fps, using Motion JPEG format - a rather inefficient codec - which limits recording length and file quality. No HDMI output also curtails video workflow flexibility.

Neither camera impresses for serious video work, but the Nikon clearly provides a more modern base for casual video capture.

Battery Life and Connectivity: Practical Everyday Use

Surprisingly, the Panasonic LZ20 shines in battery life, rated for approximately 380 shots per charge - almost double the Nikon P520’s 200 shots. This endurance advantage proved useful on long trips or when external battery options were not feasible.

Connectivity-wise, the P520 includes built-in GPS for geotagging - a boon for travel photographers tracking locations. Wireless connectivity is optional but not standard. The Panasonic LZ20 does not offer GPS or wireless features but includes USB 2.0 for image transfer.

Neither camera supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC, reflecting their mid-budget segment status from the early 2010s.

RAW and File Formats: Post-Processing Flexibility

Neither camera supports RAW file shooting, restricting workflow flexibility for photographers who prioritize detailed post-processing.

This renders both models best suited for JPEG shooters relying on in-camera adjustments or post-processing software compatible with compressed files.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Both cameras lack weather sealing or ruggedized protections, so considerations about environment apply.

They are designed for moderate everyday use but are vulnerable to dust and moisture ingress. The Nikon P520’s sturdier body perhaps fares better against bumps and knocks than the lighter Panasonic.

Real-world Performance: Putting Both Cameras Through the Paces

Having summarized specs, let’s dive into sample shooting experiences and image quality comparisons.

Nikon P520 front Nikon P520 screen back Panasonic LZ20 front Panasonic LZ20 screen back

In portraits, the Nikon’s better sensor, wider aperture at the short end, and articulating LCD enable pleasant skin tones and flexible framing. Despite lacking eye-detection autofocus, faces appeared reasonably sharp with softly rendered backgrounds when zoomed.

The Panasonic demonstrated acceptable color rendition but struggled with shallow depth of field effects, producing flatter images. Its fixed screen hindered creative angles.

Landscape shots benefit from Nikon’s superior dynamic range, capturing nuanced skies and shadow details even in challenging daylight. Image sharpness was generally higher, enabling cropping without excessive loss.

The Panasonic’s landscapes appeared softer with more contrast compression; however, the camera delivered decent handheld shots in bright using its stabilization.

For wildlife and sports, Nikon’s faster autofocus, longer reach, and higher burst rate allowed me to track small birds and fast-moving athletes better. Panasonic’s slow continuous mode and shorter zoom made capturing decisive moments difficult.

The two cameras are nearly neck-and-neck for street photography if discretion is a priority: Panasonic’s smaller frame and quieter operation make it less conspicuous, though neither is truly pocketable.

Macro test shots favored Nikon’s 1cm closest focusing distance with crisp detail and natural bokeh, while Panasonic proved less capable, with some softness at extended macro shots.

Nor are either ideal for challenging night or astro photography. The Nikon’s higher ISO ceiling and sensor noise control help, but its small sensor still limits starfield capture and exposure latitude.

Genre-Specific Performance Ratings

Assessing genre-specific suitability across portrait, landscape, wildlife, sports, street, macro, night, video, travel, and professional workflows reinforces the Nikon as the superior all-rounder with special prowess in telephoto and dynamic shooting. The Panasonic performs credibly for casual travel and snapshot uses but reveals its technical constraints in demanding scenarios.

Overall Performance and Value

A summary of overall performance highlights the Nikon P520’s higher specs and stronger feature set, rewarded with better handling and sharper images. The Panasonic LZ20’s strengths lie in affordability, longer battery life, and beginner-friendliness.

Deep Dive: Lens Ecosystem and Expansion

Though both cameras feature fixed lenses, the Nikon P520’s accessory ecosystem is somewhat richer, including options for external flashes (though no dedicated hot shoe), lens converters for wider or longer fields, and GPS support.

The Panasonic LZ20, lacking expansion ports or interfaces, is locked into a more minimal setup.

Connectivity, Storage, and Workflow Integration

Storage-wise, both cameras use SD/SDHC/SDXC cards in a single slot, covering modern card formats adequately.

The Panasonic’s USB 2.0 port aids image transfer, while the Nikon relies on optional wireless accessories for transfers, lacking standard USB which may complicate tethered shooting or direct downloads.

Neither camera supports tethered shooting or wireless control - features sought by professional and enthusiast photographers.

My Testing Methodology: Ensuring Objective Evaluation

To ensure fairness, I used the same memory cards, fresh batteries, and carried out shooting tests in comparable lighting conditions across urban, nature, and indoor environments. I focused on JPEG outputs as RAW is not supported, using standardized ISO settings and varying focal lengths to test versatility.

Post-processing was minimal to isolate in-camera performance.

Final Thoughts: Who Should Buy Which?

Choose the Nikon P520 if:

• You want extensive telephoto reach up to 1000mm for wildlife or sports
• Manual control and higher burst speeds matter to you
• You prioritize image quality with cleaner high ISO performance
• An articulating screen enhances your shooting ergonomics
• You appreciate GPS geotagging for travel photos
• You have a moderate budget to invest around $380

Opt for the Panasonic LZ20 if:

• You want an affordable bridge superzoom (~$250)
• Longer battery life and simple operation are your priorities
• You’re mostly shooting casual travel, landscapes, or snapshots
• Compactness and lighter weight are important for portability
• You don’t require extended zoom ranges or fast continuous shooting

Bringing It All Together

The Nikon Coolpix P520 and Panasonic Lumix LZ20 represent divergent interpretations of small sensor superzooms. The Nikon, from my hands-on tests, is more an enthusiast’s tool - superior optics, sensor tech, and shooting flexibility. The Panasonic simplifies the experience for first-timers or budget-minded casual photographers.

Both cameras are aging by today’s standards and lack advanced features like RAW support and modern connectivity, but they remain viable for niche uses or collectors appreciating that bridge camera format.

If you’re building a toolkit for varied photography with an emphasis on performance, the P520 is worth the premium. For beginner-friendly, straightforward use with decent zoom and battery life, the LZ20 fits better.

I hope this detailed comparison helps you align your priorities with real-world camera capabilities rather than spec sheet numbers alone. Feel free to reach out if you want hands-on guidance with other models - sharing experience and passion for photography gear has been a rewarding journey for me, and I’m here to help you find the right tool for your creative pursuits.

Happy shooting!