The LUMIX DMC-ZS20 digital camera with an impressive 20x optical zoom, a 24mm ultra wide-angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens and the ability to shoot full-High Definition (HD). The newly-redesigned lens system, the LUMIX ZS20 features a new mechanical structure and optical system to further improve image quality and with Nano Surface Coating technology, the LUMIX ZS20 offers stunning image clarity with minimized ghosting and flare. Beyond the quality of its lens, the LUMIX ZS20 integrates an enhanced built-in GPS*2 functionality, making it easy for users to pinpoint locations where photos were taken and share with family and friends on internet maps.What’s in the box: Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 Digital Camera (Silver), Battery Pack, AC Adapter, USB Cable, Hand Strap, DVD (Map Included) and 1-Year Limited Warranty.
Product Features
- 24mm Ultra Wide Angle LEICA DC Lens with 20x Optical Zoom
- Full HD video recording with stereo microphone
- 0.1sec Light Speed AF
- 12MB built-in memory
- Supports SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card
Major improvement from previous model I had the original ZS-3 which served me well until it broke down. I purchased the ZS-10 and was disappointed with the low-light performance to the extent of returning it. The ZS-20 is a major improvement over the ZS-10.I have taken only 100-200 pictures but the low light performance is much better and comparable (or slightly better) to the ZS-3. I don’t have hands on experience with the other supercompacts but the panasonic worked well for my needsPro’s-The Zoom is phenomenal (but comparable to other super compact out there)- AF speed is very good.- Low light performance is ok (major improvement but still just ok)- Flash works surprisingly well to improve overall picture quality- Small, easy to carry around- Same battery as previous model, so if upgrading, you can re-use old peripheralsCon’s- Menus could be better, 2-3 clicks to get somewhere, too many buttons and dials *** see update below- Touch screen is confusing – unclear when it’s used vs. the navigation buttons *** See update below- Preliminary but I feel that the OS can do a better job. Might be because of the extended zoomOverallGreat compact superzoom, small, light and produce great pictures. Does well what its intended to do.UPDATE: April 9- Learning curve for touch screen is faster than I originally felt- Video looks great at good light, low light performance for video is not great compared to my panasonic camcoder- HDR works great with minor caveat – do not shoot moving objects as the processing gets confused and the blended picture includes multiple fragments of the moving object (in my case kids). I believe this is an issue on all HDR’s – general recommendation, always take an extra pic on no HDR since a garbled HDR picture is useless- Macro works great- I played with custom setting on the dial which mitigates the multiple switches and dials this to some extend. For example, relatively easy managed to setup custom scene for HDR so to switch from HDR to iA is just a turn of dialStill very positive on the camera, great buy. Easily fits into my pocketUPDATE: April 22- Zooming on video adds a slight humm noise to the soundtrack- Touch screen is great! – I love the fact that you can just touch the specific object you want to focus on and have the camera focus on it and immediately take a picture. No more half way press, turn and then full press to “tell” the camera where to focus
20x Pocket Zoom Comparison – Panasonic ZS19 (ZS 20 w/o GPS) vs. Canon SX260 vs. Sony HX20V I couldn’t decide between these three cameras (and their variants, the Sony HX30 and the Panasonic ZX20) because many of the reviews of each made the cameras sound very similar. So, I went out and bought (from merchants who accepted returns) one of each of these three cameras (I didn’t need WI-FI or GPS, so that’s how I settled on these less expensive variants). And then I took photos and videos in various conditions. I am not a professional photographer, and I didn’t do Imatest or any other specific tests on the images (you can read C/net for that), but this is an experience of a regular person who was taking pictures and videos with these three cameras side by side, which is a comparison that you do not often see.The bottom line is that these three cameras are very similar with a few minor differences, but those differences set them apart and may make you decide that you like one more than the other.Generally speaking, NONE of these cameras is a DSLR replacement. Whomever writes that the pictures are as good as a DSLR is not speaking accurately. Also, none of the cameras is a replacement for a high end camcorder.OUTSIDE PICTURESIf you are taking pictures outside on a sunny day all of these cameras will take very nice pictures for small to medium enlargements (no bigger than 8 x 10). The cameras all produce nice fairly sharp images that would be well suited for that purpose. And, like most people, I don’t remember ever enlarging a picture more than 8 x 10, so it is not a common problem.What might be an issue is if you are zoomed in all the way and wanted to crop a photo (which sometimes happens), the differences in the way the cameras’ photos look when you “pixel peep” might make a difference. In good light outside, the cameras were close, but the best photos were from the CANON with the SONY and the PANASONIC a close second.INSIDE PICTURES – GOOD LIGHTIf you are inside and you are taking pictures in low light, you will see a different story. Again, at smaller sized prints 4×6, 5×7, most people will see almost no difference between the pictures of the three cameras other than the PANASONIC’s colors are a little less vibrant than those in the CANON and the SONY. I am not sure whether those colors are less accurate, they are just a little less vivid.If you pixel peep at these pictures, the CANON’s photos are clearly the best with the PANASONIC’s being second. The CANON’s remain very sharp through a good amount of enlargement while the PANASONIC’s, although close, get softer a little faster. The SONY’s pictures inside with good light became soft rather quickly and, I’m not sure if this is because the SONY has 18MP on a small chip (as some of the tech reviewers write), but there is a “watercolor” effect where after you enlarge it a little bit, it looks like a Claude Manet painting.INSIDE PICTURES – LOW LIGHTIn poor light, the hierarchy between the cameras remains the same, but there is less of a gap between the CANON and the PANASONIC. It seems as if the CANON takes somewhat worse pictures in low light, and the PANASONIC just doesn’t get that much worse. As a result, the gap between these two becomes somewhat closer. The SONY’s pictures remain the poorest of the three in low light.VIDEO – OUTSIDE GOOD LIGHTAll three cameras take very nice video outside in good light. If you are editing or nitpicky, you will note that the SONY and the PANASONIC take 60 frames per second, which is somewhat easier to edit, than the 24 frames per second that the CANON records. While you have to look for it, the CANON’s outside video does have a couple of instances where it seems to be a tad jerky compared to the SONY and PANASONIC’s video. But you really have to look for it and most people won’t notice if you don’t have another video outside for comparison.While all the outdoor video is close, I would give the edge to the SONY in video, with the PANASONIC second and the CANON third. But they are close for outside video.VIDEO – INSIDETaking video inside is a different story. Inside, the SONY shines and clearly has the best video. The video from this camera is actually good. It is not professional level by any stretch, but it is good solid quite viewable video from a camera that takes still pictures.There is a noticeable difference on indoor video between the SONY and the PANASONIC. This difference was perhaps most noticeable to me because I had both videos from both cameras and watched them over and over again looking for differences. While the difference is noticeable, it is not a tremendous difference. The SONY video is super smooth and seems to get as much out of the light as it can. The PANASONIC video also is smooth and gets a good contrast tone and color out of the available light, but is slightly less smooth than the SONY. The…