Olympus 6020 vs Panasonic ZS30

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus 6020 and Panasonic ZS30, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a noticeable gap between the resolutions of the 6020 (13MP) and ZS30 (18MP) but both cameras have the same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

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The 6020 was introduced 3 years prior to the ZS30 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a short summation of how the 6020 scores vs the ZS30 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus Tough 6020 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus 6020 Gallery & Panasonic ZS30 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus 6020 comes with physical measurements of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 122 grams (0.27 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS30 has measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

See the Olympus 6020 and Panasonic ZS30 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the 6020 versus the ZS30.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 6020 and ZS30 is 95 and 92 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements only by going over specs. The graphic below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the 6020 and ZS30.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same MP. You can count on the Panasonic ZS30 to deliver extra detail using its extra 5 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs more aggressively. The older 6020 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.