Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony S980
92 Imaging
37 Features
46 Overall
40
94 Imaging
34 Features
17 Overall
27
Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony S980 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-480mm (F3.3-6.4) lens
- 206g - 105 x 59 x 28mm
- Released April 2012
- Also referred to as Lumix DMC-TZ30
- Succeeded the Panasonic ZS15
- Replacement is Panasonic ZS25
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 3200
- 1280 x 720 video
- 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
- 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
- Released February 2009
Photography Glossary Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony S980 Overview
Let's take a deeper look at the Panasonic ZS20 and Sony S980, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the ZS20 (14MP) and the S980 (12MP) is fairly comparable and they feature the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe ZS20 was manufactured 3 years later than the S980 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).
Before we go in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the ZS20 matches up against the S980 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony S980 Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS20 Gallery & Sony S980 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS20 over the Sony S980
| ZS20 | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | April 2012 |  | February 2009 | Fresher by 39 months |
| Display dimension | 3" |  | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
| Display resolution | 460k |  | 230k | Crisper display (+230k dot) |
| Touch friendly display |  | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Panasonic ZS20
| S980 | ZS20 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus |  | Dial exact focusing |
Common features in the Panasonic ZS20 and Sony S980
| ZS20 | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Fixed |  | Fixed | Fixed display |
| Selfie screen |  | Neither contains selfie screen |
Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS20 has got external dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) whilst the Sony S980 has specifications of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).
Analyze the Panasonic ZS20 and Sony S980 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the ZS20 compared to the S980.
Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS20 and S980 is 92 and 94 respectively.
Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, its tough to visualise the difference in sensor sizing simply by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic here will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS20 and S980.
As you can see, both of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same MP. You can anticipate the Panasonic ZS20 to produce more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The newer ZS20 is going to have an edge in sensor technology.
Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoStreet Comparison
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesSports Comparison
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideTravel Comparison
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsLandscape Comparison
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesVlogging Comparison
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards
Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony S980 Specifications
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Panasonic | Sony |
| Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 |
| Alternate name | Lumix DMC-TZ30 | - |
| Category | Small Sensor Superzoom | Small Sensor Compact |
| Released | 2012-04-26 | 2009-02-17 |
| Body design | Compact | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor surface area | 27.7mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 14MP | 12MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest Possible resolution | 4320 x 3240 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
| Min native ISO | 100 | 80 |
| RAW data | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Number of focus points | 23 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | 24-480mm (20.0x) | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
| Maximum aperture | f/3.3-6.4 | f/3.3-5.2 |
| Macro focus range | 3cm | 10cm |
| Focal length multiplier | 5.9 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display sizing | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
| Resolution of display | 460 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | None | None |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 15 seconds | 2 seconds |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/1600 seconds |
| Continuous shutter speed | 10.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash range | 6.40 m | 3.50 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| 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) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
| Video format | MPEG-4, AVCHD | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | BuiltIn | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 206 grams (0.45 lb) | 167 grams (0.37 lb) |
| Dimensions | 105 x 59 x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") | 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall 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 | 260 images | - |
| Style of battery | Battery Pack | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
| Storage slots | One | One |
| Price at release | $349 | $300 |