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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZS20

Portability
85
Imaging
37
Features
67
Overall
49
Olympus XZ-2 iHS front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 front
Portability
92
Imaging
38
Features
46
Overall
41

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZS20 Key Specs

Olympus XZ-2 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-112mm (F1.8-2.5) lens
  • 346g - 113 x 65 x 48mm
  • Introduced December 2012
Panasonic ZS20
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-480mm (F3.3-6.4) lens
  • 206g - 105 x 59 x 28mm
  • Revealed April 2012
  • Alternative Name is Lumix DMC-TZ30
  • Superseded the Panasonic ZS15
  • Successor is Panasonic ZS25
Photography Glossary

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZS20 Overview

Following is a complete analysis of the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic ZS20, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the ZS20 (14MP) is relatively well matched but the XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") and ZS20 (1/2.3") feature different sensor dimensions.

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The XZ-2 iHS was manufactured 8 months after the ZS20 so they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving through a in depth comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the XZ-2 iHS scores vs the ZS20 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus XZ-2 iHS over the Panasonic ZS20

 XZ-2 iHS ZS20 
RevealedDecember 2012April 2012More modern by 8 months
Manually focus Very accurate focusing
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen resolution920k460kCrisper screen (+460k dot)

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS20 over the Olympus XZ-2 iHS

 ZS20 XZ-2 iHS 

Common features in the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic ZS20

 XZ-2 iHS ZS20 
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen sizing
Selfie screen Neither includes selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZS20 Physical Comparison

In case you're going to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus XZ-2 iHS features exterior measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") and a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS20 has specifications of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

See the Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic ZS20 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the XZ-2 iHS and the ZS20.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZS20 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-2 iHS and ZS20 is 85 and 92 respectively.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZS20 top view buttons comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZS20 Sensor Comparison

Typically, it is hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizes merely by checking a spec sheet. The image below will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-2 iHS and ZS20.

As you can see, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The XZ-2 iHS due to its bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh easier and the Panasonic ZS20 will resolve extra detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots much more aggressively. The younger XZ-2 iHS should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZS20 sensor size comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZS20 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZS20 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Portrait photography highlights
Panasonic ZS20 Portrait photography highlights
46
you can focus manually
comes with face detection autofocus
saves RAW formats
MP count low (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/1.7")
30
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
lack of manual focus
no external flash support
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus XZ-2 iHS
Street photography with Panasonic ZS20
66
tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
saves RAW formats
very small sensor size (1/1.7")
more heavy than competitors (346g)
65
image stabilization (Optical)
boasts touch to focus
lighter than competitors in class (206g)
screen is fixed
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus XZ-2 iHS
Sports photography with Panasonic ZS20
43
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
comes with tracking autofocus
better than average battery (340 per charge)
MP count low (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/1.7")
does not have phase detect autofocus
47
incredible zoom range (24-480mm 20.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
offers tracking autofocus
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
bad battery (260 CIPA)
lack of phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Travel photography information
Panasonic ZS20 Travel photography information
61
better than average battery (340 CIPA)
built-in flash
fairly wide (28mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
no Timelapse mode
more heavy than competitors (346g)
MP count low (12 megapixels)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
68
lighter than competitors in class (206 grams)
boasts touch to focus
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
has built in flash
rather wide (24mm)
very long zoom (480mm)
lack of Timelapse recording
bad battery (260 shots)
screen isn't selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS as a Landscape photography camera
Panasonic ZS20 as a Landscape photography camera
55
you can focus manually
fairly wide (28mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
screen is a good size (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
saves RAW formats
better than average battery (340 per charge)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
MP count low (12 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/1.7")
no Timelapse mode
42
rather wide (24mm)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
lack of manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
bad battery (260 CIPA)
lack of Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus XZ-2 iHS Vlogging highlights
Panasonic ZS20 Vlogging highlights
36
fairly wide (28mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
touchscreen enabled
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
comes with face detection autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
includes external microphone port
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
more heavy than competitors (346g)
34
rather wide (24mm)
touchscreen functionality
image stabilization (Optical)
good video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competitors in class (206 grams)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of external microphone jack
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Olympus XZ-2 iHS vs Panasonic ZS20 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus XZ-2 iHS and Panasonic ZS20
 Olympus XZ-2 iHSPanasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20
General Information
Company Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus XZ-2 iHS Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20
Alternative name - Lumix DMC-TZ30
Class Small Sensor Compact Small Sensor Superzoom
Introduced 2012-12-18 2012-04-26
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/1.7" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 7.44 x 5.58mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor area 41.5mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 3968 x 2976 4320 x 3240
Maximum native ISO 12800 6400
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points 35 23
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 28-112mm (4.0x) 24-480mm (20.0x)
Highest aperture f/1.8-2.5 f/3.3-6.4
Macro focus range 1cm 3cm
Crop factor 4.8 5.9
Screen
Screen type Tilting Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 920k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 secs 15 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/2000 secs
Continuous shooting speed - 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 8.60 m (ISO 800) 6.40 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (220 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 346g (0.76 lbs) 206g (0.45 lbs)
Dimensions 113 x 65 x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") 105 x 59 x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 49 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 20.4 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 11.3 not tested
DXO Low light score 216 not tested
Other
Battery life 340 pictures 260 pictures
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model Li-90B -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots 1 1
Pricing at launch $450 $349