Panasonic ZS20

Panasonic ZS20 is Panasonic's Small Sensor Superzoom camera originally launched on April of 2012. The camera houses a 14MP, CMOS 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a max resolution of 4320 x 3240. It is also known as "Lumix DMC-TZ30" in some countries.

Panasonic released this camera to update the earlier Panasonic ZS15 (Read Full Comparison) and then brought out the more recent Panasonic ZS25 (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to replace this camera.

The ZS20 is positioned #133 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and overall #697 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. You should test our Smart camera filter to find camera rankings based on your personalized requirements.

Here is a graph of various factors used in the rating system.

The Panasonic ZS20 comes with a history of related digital cameras. Down below, you can view all previous and brand new models alongside main specs.

You can see the ZS20 from various angles in the gallery below.

Below is a shortlist of pluses and minuses of the Panasonic ZS20 based on criterias that are normally considered useful in a camera.

The measurement of the sensor on the Panasonic ZS20 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to capture 4320 x 3240 pixels at aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera includes Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization since the latter can easily lead to cropping.

Photography Glossary

The CMOS sensor boasts 14 megapixels and delivers a native ISO range of 100 to 6400. Sadly, RAW format is not supported therefore you have less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic below illustrates the ZS20's sensor dimensions compared to other common sizes. The ZS20 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.9 and is outlined in green.

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

Panasonic ZS20 weighs about 0.45 lb (206 gr / 7.27 oz) and the over all size of the camera is 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1"). The weight of typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 gr and the Panasonic ZS20 is less heavy compared with its rivals.

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Listed below is a pic of the Panasonic ZS20 next to a softdrink so you're able to have a feel for its scale.

The top view below will show the button design on the ZS20.

The ZS20 provides a built in lens and a focal range of 24-480mm making it a 20.0 x zoom which is ideal and is going to enable you to zoom right in.

At the widest 24mm, it offers an aperture of f3.3 making it kind of slow and not very good in low light events and you will likely struggle to capture a shallow depth of field. You will also need to increase the ISO which causes noisy files. With the tele end, 480mm is amazing zoom and comes with f6.4 making it very sluggish and you may need to apply slow shutter speeds.

The ZS20 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• HDMI Yes
• GPS Yes

Digital cameras that come with NFC and / or Bluetooth support can easily be controlled wirelessly via smartphones. You can send pictures and oftentimes change camera settings without connecting directly to the camera.

Some applications even allow a Liveview and hit the shutter if you are not close to the camera. If the camera features a HDMI out, it could be attached to an external monitor. Nearly all cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack with the USB socket.

The max video quality on the Panasonic ZS20 is 1920 x 1080 and it can capture in MPEG-4 and AVCHD format. 1080p quality can provide a good balance between quality and file sizes but 1080p will not leave you with much room to crop. The camera does not have a mic and / or headphone socket which means that you get no control over your sound. It is probably a better idea to consider a different camera should you need better sound in your video clips.

Panasonic ZS20 does not include environment proofing so rainy conditions might damage the camera.

The Panasonic ZS20 is equipped with a 3 inch fixed display boasting a resolution of 460 thousand dots.

Moreover the display is touch friendly which means you can easily shift focus point and adjust settings with your finger.

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The ViewFinder specs regarding Panasonic ZS20 are below:

• ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are very handy during bright outdoor conditions which might make the camera display washed out and difficult to view.

Panasonic ZS20 has the capability to shoot continuously at 10.0 fps. The max shutter speed is 1/2000 sec.

Panasonic ZS20 includes only built-in flash with missing external flash support.

Panasonic ZS20 includes just Contrast Based Autofocus and doesn't have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more faster & precise compared with Contrast Based autofocusing.

It supports 23 focus points to pick from. Panasonic ZS20 has touch to focus. You are able to use your fingers to adjust focus points. It also comes with Tracking Autofocus for moving subjects. Panasonic ZS20 doesn't have manual focusing. Manual focusing mode can be useful during low light conditions or you need more precise focusing control.

The battery pack on the Panasonic ZS20 is designed to last for 260 pictures as per the CIPA measurements making it less as compared with its competition. The usual Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR has got the maximum (600) battery life within this kind of cameras.

Following is a number of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras with the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm HS35EXR
ZS20 vs Fujifilm HS35EXR600 yesnono

Nikon B500
ZS20 vs B500600 nonoyes

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Nikon L840
ZS20 vs L840590 noyesno

Panasonic FZ200
ZS20 vs FZ200540 yesnono

Leica V-Lux 4
ZS20 vs V-Lux 4540 yesnono

The following chart indicates a outline of the Panasonic ZS20 for various kinds of photography. To read more, go to the specific paragraph below.

The Panasonic ZS20 has a score of 30 which is subpar, and means the camera is not really very good for portrait photos. Taking portraits leans greatly towards sensor size, support for RAW photos along with the flexibility to utilize external flash.

Having a above average rating of 65, the Panasonic ZS20 is a fine fit for street photography. A good street photography camera comes with a good balance of picture quality and portability.

A average sports photography points total of 47 indicates the Panasonic ZS20 is fairly acceptable for taking pictures of sports. A camera needs to have fantastic tracking plus fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

Weight is pretty critical in buying a travel camera. Over-all, the Panasonic ZS20 gets a nice 68 for a travelling camera which makes it a fine choice for your vacations.

For anybody who is looking to pick a digital camera for landscape photographs, the most significant factor is going to be image quality. The Panasonic ZS20 and it's subpar grade of 42 as a landscape camera is not really very good amongst its competitors.

A camera for vlogging should come with a articulating screen, mic port and ideally image stabilization. Considering everything, the Panasonic ZS20 is not really very good as a vlog camera as it comes to a subpar score of 34.

If you are searching for replacements to the ZS20, here is a collection of the top placed cameras that fall under the class of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The graph listed below gives you an overview of the ZS20 versus it's highest rated rivals listed previously.

Here are a few more cameras you may regard as alternative options. To see a full comparison, click the "compare" link.