Olympus XZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ20

On this page, we are matching up the Olympus XZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ20, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the XZ-10 (12MP) and LZ20 (16MP) but both cameras have the same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The XZ-10 was released 7 months later than the LZ20 so they are both of a similar age. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LZ20 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the XZ-10 grades against the LZ20 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus XZ-10 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-10 Gallery & Panasonic LZ20 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus XZ-10 comes with outer measurements of 102mm x 61mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Panasonic LZ20 has proportions of 120mm x 76mm x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1") having a weight of 499 grams (1.10 lbs).

Compare the Olympus XZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ20 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is a front view size comparison of the XZ-10 versus the LZ20.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-10 and LZ20 is 91 and 71 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to see the gap in sensor sizing just by viewing specifications. The photograph here might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-10 and LZ20.

To sum up, the two cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same megapixels. You can expect to see the Panasonic LZ20 to render greater detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more modern XZ-10 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.