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Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic LZ20

Portability
88
Imaging
40
Features
53
Overall
45
Olympus Stylus SH-1 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20 front
Portability
71
Imaging
40
Features
34
Overall
37

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic LZ20 Key Specs

Olympus SH-1
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
  • 271g - 109 x 63 x 42mm
  • Revealed March 2014
  • Replacement is Olympus SH-2
Panasonic LZ20
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 1600 (Bump to 6400)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-525mm (F3.1-5.8) lens
  • 499g - 120 x 76 x 80mm
  • Launched July 2012
  • Replacement is Panasonic LZ30
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Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic LZ20 Overview

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus SH-1 versus Panasonic LZ20, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SH-1 (16MP) and the LZ20 (16MP) is relatively well matched and they feature the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SH-1 was announced 21 months after the LZ20 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SH-1 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LZ20 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise overview of how the SH-1 scores vs the LZ20 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus SH-1 over the Panasonic LZ20

 SH-1 LZ20 
LaunchedMarch 2014July 2012Newer by 21 months
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic LZ20 over the Olympus SH-1

 LZ20 SH-1 

Common features in the Olympus SH-1 and Panasonic LZ20

 SH-1 LZ20 
Manual focus Lack of manual focus
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen size
Screen resolution460k460kIdentical screen resolution
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic LZ20 Physical Comparison

For those who are going to travel with your camera, you will have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-1 comes with physical dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LZ20 has sizing of 120mm x 76mm x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 499 grams (1.10 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-1 versus Panasonic LZ20 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at that time. Here is the front view size comparison of the SH-1 vs the LZ20.

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic LZ20 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the SH-1 and LZ20 is 88 and 71 respectively.

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic LZ20 top view buttons comparison

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic LZ20 Sensor Comparison

Generally, it can be difficult to see the gap between sensor dimensions only by checking a spec sheet. The picture below might offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SH-1 and LZ20.

Clearly, each of the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the same exact MP therefore you should expect similar quality of images but you should take the production date of the products into consideration. The younger SH-1 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic LZ20 sensor size comparison

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic LZ20 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic LZ20 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus SH-1
Portrait photography with Panasonic LZ20
37
good resolution (16MP)
supports face detect autofocus
lack of manual focus
no external flash support
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
37
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
provides face detection focusing
no manual focus
cannot use external flash
small sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Street Comparison

Olympus SH-1 Street photography details
Panasonic LZ20 Street photography details
64
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
provides focus via touch
lighter than competitors in class (271g)
fixed screen
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
45
has image stabilization (Optical)
no moving screen
small sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
more heavy than others in class (499 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus SH-1 Sports photography factors
Panasonic LZ20 Sports photography factors
51
excellent zoom range (25-600mm 24.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (16 megapixels)
supports tracking focus
better than average battery (380 shots)
no shutter priority mode
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect autofocus
47
great zoom range (25-525mm 21.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
provides tracking autofocus
great battery pack (380 shots)
low fps (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
small sensor (1/2.3")
no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus SH-1
Travel photography with Panasonic LZ20
74
better than average battery (380 per charge)
lighter than competitors in class (271 grams)
provides focus via touch
good resolution (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
decently wide (25mm)
very long reach (600mm)
display is not selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
58
great battery pack (380 per charge)
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
built-in flash
decently wide (25mm)
great reach (525mm)
no Timelapse function
more heavy than others in class (499 grams)
does not posses selfie friendly display
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus SH-1 Landscape photography highlights
Panasonic LZ20 Landscape photography highlights
49
decently wide (25mm)
screen is a good size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (16 megapixels)
better than average battery (380 shots)
lack of manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
45
decently wide (25mm)
nice screen size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count good (16MP)
great battery pack (380 per charge)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
small sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
no Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus SH-1 as a Vlogging camera
Panasonic LZ20 as a Vlogging camera
37
decently wide (25mm)
touchscreen enabled
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports face detect autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
does have mic port
lighter than competitors in class (271 grams)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
display is not selfie friendly
25
decently wide (25mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detection focusing
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
does not posses selfie friendly display
low quality video (1280 x 720 pixels)
no external microphone socket
more heavy than others in class (499 grams)
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Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic LZ20 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus SH-1 and Panasonic LZ20
 Olympus Stylus SH-1Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20
General Information
Company Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus Stylus SH-1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20
Type Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Superzoom
Revealed 2014-03-31 2012-07-18
Physical type Compact SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic VII -
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4608 x 3456
Highest native ISO 6400 1600
Highest enhanced ISO - 6400
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW images
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points - 9
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 25-600mm (24.0x) 25-525mm (21.0x)
Largest aperture f/3.0-6.9 f/3.1-5.8
Macro focusing range 3cm 2cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.9
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 3 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 460k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Display tech - TFT Screen LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Min shutter speed 30 seconds 15 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/2000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 12.0 frames per second 1.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance - 6.80 m
Flash settings - Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720p ( 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video format H.264 Motion JPEG
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 None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 271 gr (0.60 lb) 499 gr (1.10 lb)
Dimensions 109 x 63 x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") 120 x 76 x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1")
DXO scores
DXO Overall 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 380 photos 380 photos
Battery type Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID LI-92B -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage type SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots 1 1
Retail price $349 $250