Olympus VG-160 vs Panasonic LZ20
96 Imaging
37 Features
26 Overall
32


71 Imaging
39 Features
34 Overall
37
Olympus VG-160 vs Panasonic LZ20 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- 1280 x 720 video
- 26-130mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
- 125g - 96 x 57 x 19mm
- Revealed January 2012
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600 (Increase to 6400)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-525mm (F3.1-5.8) lens
- 499g - 120 x 76 x 80mm
- Launched July 2012
- Renewed by Panasonic LZ30

Olympus VG-160 vs Panasonic LZ20 Overview
Below is a thorough assessment of the Olympus VG-160 versus Panasonic LZ20, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the VG-160 (14MP) and the LZ20 (16MP) is fairly close and both cameras have the same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

The VG-160 was manufactured 6 months earlier than the LZ20 and they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LZ20 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.
Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the VG-160 matches up against the LZ20 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus VG-160 vs Panasonic LZ20 Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-160 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus VG-160 Gallery & Panasonic LZ20 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus VG-160 over the Panasonic LZ20
VG-160 | LZ20 |
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Reasons to pick Panasonic LZ20 over the Olympus VG-160
LZ20 | VG-160 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer display (+230k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus VG-160 and Panasonic LZ20
VG-160 | LZ20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | January 2012 | ![]() | July 2012 | Same age |
Focus manually | ![]() | No manual focusing | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal display dimensions |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lack of selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Lack of Touch display |
Olympus VG-160 vs Panasonic LZ20 Physical Comparison
If you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus VG-160 comes with outside measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Panasonic LZ20 has specifications of 120mm x 76mm x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 499 grams (1.10 lbs).
Check the Olympus VG-160 versus Panasonic LZ20 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the VG-160 against the LZ20.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VG-160 and LZ20 is 96 and 71 respectively.

Olympus VG-160 vs Panasonic LZ20 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it is very difficult to envision the contrast in sensor measurements purely by researching specifications. The graphic here will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the VG-160 and LZ20.
To sum up, both of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same megapixels. You can anticipate the Panasonic LZ20 to result in greater detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will let you crop pics a bit more aggressively.

Olympus VG-160 vs Panasonic LZ20 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus VG-160 vs Panasonic LZ20 Specifications
Olympus VG-160 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model | Olympus VG-160 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20 |
Class | Small Sensor Compact | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Revealed | 2012-01-10 | 2012-07-18 |
Physical type | Compact | SLR-like (bridge) |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4288 x 3216 | 4608 x 3456 |
Max native ISO | 1600 | 1600 |
Max boosted ISO | - | 6400 |
Minimum native ISO | 80 | 100 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | - | 9 |
Cross focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 26-130mm (5.0x) | 25-525mm (21.0x) |
Largest aperture | f/2.8-6.5 | f/3.1-5.8 |
Macro focus range | 7cm | 2cm |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 3" | 3" |
Screen resolution | 230 thousand dots | 460 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch capability | ||
Screen technology | TFT Color LCD | TFT Screen LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 4s | 15s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000s | 1/2000s |
Continuous shooting rate | - | 1.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 4.80 m | 6.80 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30,15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 180 (30,15 fps) | 1280 x 720p ( 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
Video format | Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 125 grams (0.28 lbs) | 499 grams (1.10 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 96 x 57 x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") | 120 x 76 x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 165 shots | 380 shots |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | LI-70B | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Card slots | One | One |
Pricing at launch | $90 | $250 |