Olympus 6020 vs Panasonic ZS100

The following is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus 6020 and Panasonic ZS100, one is a Waterproof and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference among the resolutions of the 6020 (13MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the 6020 (1/2.3") and ZS100 (1") use different sensor sizing.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The 6020 was manufactured 7 years prior to the ZS100 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 6020 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go in to a complete comparison, below is a concise overview of how the 6020 scores versus the ZS100 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus Tough 6020 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The entire galleries are available at Olympus 6020 Gallery and Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus 6020 offers exterior measurements of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") along with a weight of 122 grams (0.27 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS100 has proportions of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 6020 and Panasonic ZS100 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have during that time. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the 6020 against the ZS100.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the 6020 and ZS100 is 95 and 87 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions only by viewing specifications. The image below may give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the 6020 and ZS100.

To sum up, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The 6020 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Panasonic ZS100 will provide you with greater detail due to its extra 7 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more aged 6020 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.