Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A380
92 Imaging
37 Features
46 Overall
40


68 Imaging
53 Features
54 Overall
53
Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A380 Key Specs
(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
- Also Known as Lumix DMC-TZ30
- Succeeded the Panasonic ZS15
- Successor is Panasonic ZS25
(Full Review)

Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A380 Overview
Here, we will be comparing the Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A380, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the ZS20 (14MP) and the A380 (14MP) is relatively close but the ZS20 (1/2.3") and A380 (APS-C) offer different sensor size.

The ZS20 was revealed 2 years later than the A380 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before diving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summation of how the ZS20 scores versus the A380 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A380 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS20 Gallery & Sony A380 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS20 over the Sony A380
ZS20 | A380 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | April 2012 | ![]() | August 2009 | Fresher by 33 months |
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Screen resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper screen (+230k dot) |
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A380 over the Panasonic ZS20
A380 | ZS20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very exact focus | ||
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Common features in the Panasonic ZS20 and Sony A380
ZS20 | A380 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen |
Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A380 Physical Comparison
If you're aiming to carry your camera regularly, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS20 features outside measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) whilst the Sony A380 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).
Check out the Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A380 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you select at that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the ZS20 and the A380.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS20 and A380 is 92 and 68 respectively.

Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A380 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it is very tough to visualize the difference in sensor sizing simply by viewing technical specs. The visual here will offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS20 and A380.
As you have seen, each of the cameras come with the identical megapixels albeit different sensor sizing. The ZS20 provides the smaller sensor which should make achieving shallow DOF tougher. The younger ZS20 provides an advantage in sensor technology.

Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A380 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A380 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Panasonic | Sony |
Model type | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 |
Also called | Lumix DMC-TZ30 | - |
Type | Small Sensor Superzoom | Entry-Level DSLR |
Revealed | 2012-04-26 | 2009-08-24 |
Body design | Compact | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm |
Sensor surface area | 27.7mm² | 372.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14 megapixels | 14 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 4320 x 3240 | 4592 x 3056 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Total focus points | 23 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Lens zoom range | 24-480mm (20.0x) | - |
Largest aperture | f/3.3-6.4 | - |
Macro focusing range | 3cm | - |
Available lenses | - | 143 |
Crop factor | 5.9 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Screen diagonal | 3 inch | 2.7 inch |
Resolution of screen | 460 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.49x |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 15 secs | 30 secs |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 10.0fps | 3.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 6.40 m | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | - | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (220 fps) | - |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video format | MPEG-4, AVCHD | - |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | BuiltIn | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 206 gr (0.45 lb) | 519 gr (1.14 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 105 x 59 x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") | 128 x 97 x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | not tested | 67 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.6 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.8 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 614 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 260 images | 500 images |
Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | NP-FH50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Cost at release | $349 | $899 |