Panasonic FS15 vs Panasonic LZ20

Below is a extended comparison of the Panasonic FS15 versus Panasonic LZ20, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are designed by Panasonic. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the FS15 (12MP) and LZ20 (16MP) but both cameras posses the identical sensor sizes (1/2.3").

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The FS15 was manufactured 4 years earlier than the LZ20 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FS15 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic LZ20 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the FS15 matches up vs the LZ20 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic FS15 Gallery and Panasonic LZ20 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic FS15 offers external dimensions of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") having a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) while the Panasonic LZ20 has sizing of 120mm x 76mm x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1") having a weight of 499 grams (1.10 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FS15 versus Panasonic LZ20 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the FS15 compared to the LZ20.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the FS15 and LZ20 is 95 and 71 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to visualise the gap between sensor measurements simply by checking technical specs. The graphic underneath will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the FS15 and LZ20.

As you have seen, both of these cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit not the same MP. You should count on the Panasonic LZ20 to give you more detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures way more aggressively. The older FS15 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.