Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic ZS20

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic ZS20, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the VR-340 (16MP) and the ZS20 (14MP) is pretty similar and they use the same exact sensor size (1/2.3").

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The VR-340 was launched 3 months prior to the ZS20 which means that they are of a similar generation. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before going straight into a complete comparison, below is a brief view of how the VR-340 grades versus the ZS20 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus VR-340 Gallery and Panasonic ZS20 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VR-340 features exterior measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS20 has dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

Check out the Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic ZS20 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the VR-340 versus the ZS20.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VR-340 and ZS20 is 96 and 92 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to picture the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading a spec sheet. The pic here should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the VR-340 and ZS20.

Clearly, both of the cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit different resolution. You should expect the Olympus VR-340 to deliver greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs far more aggressively.