Olympus VG-120 vs Panasonic ZS200

Below, we will be contrasting the Olympus VG-120 and Panasonic ZS200, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the VG-120 (14MP) and ZS200 (20MP) and the VG-120 (1/2.3") and ZS200 (1") use totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The VG-120 was announced 8 years earlier than the ZS200 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VG-120 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving in to a in depth comparison, below is a simple view of how the VG-120 grades vs the ZS200 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VG-120 and Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VG-120 Gallery and Panasonic ZS200 Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera often, you need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus VG-120 features external dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS200 has specifications of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") along with a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs).

Compare the Olympus VG-120 and Panasonic ZS200 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select during that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the VG-120 versus the ZS200.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the VG-120 and ZS200 is 96 and 86 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to visualise the difference between sensor measurements only by reading specs. The photograph underneath might give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-120 and ZS200.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The VG-120 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Panasonic ZS200 will offer you greater detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older VG-120 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.