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Panasonic LZ20

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20 front
 
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 1600 (Increase to 6400)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-525mm (F3.1-5.8) lens
  • 499g - 120 x 76 x 80mm
  • Introduced July 2012
  • New Model is Panasonic LZ30
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
71
Imaging
39
Features
34
Overall
37

Panasonic LZ20 summary

Panasonic LZ20 is Panasonic's Small Sensor Superzoom camera initially revealed on July of 2012. The camera features a 16MP, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a full resolution of 4608 x 3456.

Panasonic introduced the more recent Panasonic LZ30 (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to replace this camera.

The LZ20 is scored #171 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and over-all #820 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. Please try out our Advanced camera search to see camera ratings based on your customized factors.

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The following is a graph of specific factors used in the rating system.

Panasonic LZ20 family

The Panasonic LZ20 comes with a history of related digital cameras. Down below, you can look at all previous and brand new models as well as main specs.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-LZ40 front thumbnailPanasonic LZ40
LZ20 vs LZ40
22-924mm
F3.0-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2014
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-LZ30 front thumbnailPanasonic LZ30
LZ20 vs LZ30
25-875mm
F3.0-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
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Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-LZ20 front thumbnailPanasonic LZ2025-525mm
F3.1-5.8
16MP1/2.3"2012

Panasonic LZ20 Pros and Cons

Here is a collection of good and bad points of the Panasonic LZ20 based on factors that are normally regarded as necessary in a camera.

comes with face detection autofocus
comes with tracking autofocus
good battery life (380 shots)
good resolution (16MP)
great reach (525mm)
has built in flash
has image stabilization (Optical)
incredible zoom range (25-525mm 21.0 x zoom)
quite wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3")
very good minimum ISO (100)
does not contain selfie friendly display
does not have phase detect autofocus
does not have RAW files
heavier than competition in class (499g)
lack of external mic port
lack of HDMI port
lack of headphone port
lack of manual focus
lack of shutter priority mode
lack of Time Lapse function
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
low resolution screen (460 thousand dot)
no aperture priority mode
no articulating screen
no external flash support
slow max aperture (f3.1)
sluggish at long end (f5.8)
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
video resolution low (1280 x 720 resolution)
Photography Glossary

Panasonic LZ20 Sensor specs

The specification of the sensor in the Panasonic LZ20 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor can capture 4608 x 3456 pixels using aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is more effective than digital stabilization as the latter can easily produce cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 16MP and includes a native ISO range of 100 - 1600. The ISO can also be increased electronically to a maximum of 6400. Unfortunately, RAW photos are not supported which means that the user has less margin for error.

The graphic below illustrates the LZ20's sensor size in comparison to other common sizes. The LZ20 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.9 and is displayed in green.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20 sensor size Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

To get a sense of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Panasonic LZ20 dimensions

Panasonic LZ20 weighs around 1.10 lb (499 grams / 17.60 oz) and features outer proportions of 120mm x 76mm x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1"). The weight of average Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 grams so the Panasonic LZ20 is heavier as compared to various competitors.

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The following is a pic of the Panasonic LZ20 beside a soft drink to help you to have a sense of its size.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20 dimensions scale

The top view here will show you the button layout on the LZ20.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20 topview buttons dials

Panasonic LZ20 Lens details

The LZ20 has an inbuilt lens offering a focal range of 25-525mm making it a 21.0 x zoom which is outstanding and can allow you to zoom right in.

At it's widest 25mm, the lens will have an aperture of f3.1 and that is kind of sluggish and not very good in low light events and you will find it difficult to capture a shallow depth of field. You will likely also need to raise your ISO which causes noisy pictures. For the long end, 525mm is terrific zoom and comes with f5.8 which is quite slow and you may have to use slow shutter speeds.

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Panasonic LZ20 Connectivity

The LZ20 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Digital cameras that contain NFC and Bluetooth compatibility are able to be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You are able to transfer pictures and in some cases alter camera settings with no need to connect straight with the camera.

Many apps also allow a Liveview and release the shutter in case you are not near the camera. If the camera contains a HDMI out, it can easily be attached to an external display. Virtually all cameras will allow you to recharge the battery pack with the USB socket.

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Panasonic LZ20 Video details

The highest possible video quality in the Panasonic LZ20 is 1280 x 720 and it can record in Motion JPEG format. 720p is low by today's standards. You should strive for a minimum FUll HD quality for good video. The body does not offer a mic and headphone jack which means you get absolutely no control over your sound. It is perhaps best to consider an alternative camera in case you want good sound in your video clips.

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Panasonic LZ20 Weather Sealing

Panasonic LZ20 does not have environment sealing so rainy conditions might affect the camera.

Panasonic LZ20 Display and Viewfinder

The Panasonic LZ20 features a 3 inch fixed display screen having a resolution of 460 thousand dots.

Unfortunately the display screen is not a touch screen.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20 screen and viewfinder Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The ViewFinder specs regarding Panasonic LZ20 are the following:

  • ViewFinder None

In those bright outdoor conditions that make the camera displays washed out and tricky to view, viewfinders will be rather useful.

Panasonic LZ20 Shutter details

Panasonic LZ20 continuous shooting speed is 1.0 frames/s. The maximum shutter speed is 1/2000 sec.

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Panasonic LZ20 Flash and Hot shoe details

Panasonic LZ20 boasts just built in flash without external flash support.

Panasonic LZ20 Autofocusing details

Panasonic LZ20 boasts only Contrast Based AF and doesn't have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is more quicker & accurate as compared to Contrast Based focusing. The camera features Face detect making it handy for taking photos of people.

The Sensor features 9 focus points to select from. It also includes Tracking AF for moving things. Panasonic LZ20 does not have manual focusing. Manual focusing mode is good for low light conditions or you want to have more exact focus control.

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Panasonic LZ20 Battery life

The battery life for the Panasonic LZ20 is built to last for 380 shots with respect to the CIPA specifications making it above average ın comparison with its category. The average Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR features the best (600) battery life for this category of cameras.

Following is a list of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras that have the strongest battery life:

Panasonic LZ20 for varying kinds of photography

The following chart indicates a rundown of the Panasonic LZ20 for varying kinds of photography. To understand more, scroll to the specific paragraph below.

Panasonic LZ20 Portrait photography advice

The Panasonic LZ20 has a rating of 36 which is subpar, and means the camera is not really very good for portraits. Taking portrait images favors greatly towards sensor dimensions, RAW support & capability to work with external flash.

Photography Glossary
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
features face detection focusing
lack of manual focus
external flash not possible
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files

Panasonic LZ20 Street photography advice

With a subpar points tally of 45, the Panasonic LZ20 is not really very good to use in street photography. A good street photography camera features a good balance of picture quality and portability.

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has image stabilization (Optical)
no articulating screen
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
more heavy than competition (499g)

Sports photography with Panasonic LZ20

A moderate sports photography points total of 47 suggests the Panasonic LZ20 is reasonably adequate for taking photos of sports. A camera really should have good tracking and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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great zoom range (25-525mm 21.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (16MP)
features tracking focus
better than average battery pack (380 shots)
continuous shooting slow (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect AF

Panasonic LZ20 Travel photography information

Weight is extremely crucial when buying a travel camera. Overall, the Panasonic LZ20 gets a moderate 58 as a travel camera which is reasonably suited to buy for your vacations.

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good battery pack (380 per charge)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
built-in flash
rather wide (25mm)
long zoom (525mm)
missing Time Lapse recording
heavier than average (499g)
screen isn't selfie friendly
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.1)

Panasonic LZ20 Landscape photography information

If you're looking to choose a camera for landscape photographs, the most essential aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Panasonic LZ20 at it's subpar rating of 45 as a landscape camera is not really very good within the current market.

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relatively wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good resolution (16 megapixels)
better than average battery life (380 shots)
lack of manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
no Timelapse function

Panasonic LZ20 as a Vlogging camera

A vlogging camera should really come with a articulating display screen, mic port and preferably image stabilization. Considering all things, the Panasonic LZ20 is not really very good for vlogging as it comes to a subpar score of 25.

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fairly wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
features face detection autofocus
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.1)
does not feature selfie friendly display
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pixels)
no external mic jack
heavier than competition (499 grams)

Panasonic LZ20 Alternatives

If you need alternatives to the LZ20, here is a range of the top scored cameras which fall under the category of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The line graph below shows you a summary of the LZ20 versus it's highest rated rivals shown previously.

Here are a handful of other cameras you might see as alternate options. To check out a full comparison, go to the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand Name
Panasonic
Model type
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20
Type
Small Sensor Superzoom
Introduced
2012-07-18
Body design
SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions
6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area
27.7mm²
Sensor resolution
16 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution
4608 x 3456
RAW images
Max native ISO
1600
Max enhanced ISO
6400
Minimum native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points
9
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
25-525mm (21.0x)
Largest aperture
f/3.1-5.8
Macro focusing distance
2cm
Focal length multiplier
5.9
Screen
Range of display
Fixed Type
Display sizing
3"
Display resolution
460 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display technology
TFT Screen LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
None
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Minimum shutter speed
15 seconds
Fastest shutter speed
1/2000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed
1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
6.80 m
Flash settings
Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions
1280 x 720p ( 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max video resolution
1280x720
Video file format
Motion JPEG
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
499 gr (1.10 pounds)
Physical dimensions
120 x 76 x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1")
Other
Battery life
380 photos
Battery form
Battery Pack
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots
Single
Retail cost
$250