Olympus VG-120 vs Panasonic ZS80

Here is a in depth overview of the Olympus VG-120 and Panasonic ZS80, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a noticeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the VG-120 (14MP) and ZS80 (20MP) but both cameras boast the identical sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The VG-120 was released 8 years prior to the ZS80 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VG-120 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a complete comparison, here is a brief overview of how the VG-120 grades against the ZS80 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VG-120 & Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80. The complete galleries are available at Olympus VG-120 Gallery & Panasonic ZS80 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus VG-120 features outer measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS80 has proportions of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") having a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus VG-120 and Panasonic ZS80 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use at that moment. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the VG-120 vs the ZS80.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VG-120 and ZS80 is 96 and 86 respectively.

Quite often, it's difficult to see the difference between sensor sizing only by reviewing a spec sheet. The graphic here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the VG-120 and ZS80.

Clearly, both of those cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit not the same resolution. You can count on the Panasonic ZS80 to deliver more detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older VG-120 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.