Panasonic Lumix ZS20 14.1 High Sensitivity MOS Digtial Camera with 20x Optical Zoom (Black) DMC-ZS20K

Okay, I like the Panasonic's Zs cameras. They're easy to get the hang of and I've had no reliability issues. I started with a Panasonic Zs3. Later on I upgraded to a Zs7, then when I saw Amazon was selling a Zs9 which was the same as the Zs8 but with a stereo microphone and the price wasn't much over $100 (from Amazon Warehouse), I couldn't resist buying it for its 16x zoom. It's been a great camera. I love my Zs9 with it's long zoom despite it not having GPS (which I didn't care about) or HDMI out, and with a lower LCD screen resolution than the Zs7. I thought the screen clarity was fine and didn't miss the 460,000 dots on the Zs7. Well, I couldn't resist this newer upgraded Zs. The Zs20 is my 4th Panasonic Lumix Zs camera (all of them purchased from Amazon), and I can say without reservation that this is the best of them all. I love the fast burst shooting made possible by the CMOS sensor. The 16x zoom on the Zs8/9 is really great. I've taken some fantastic close-up shots with it. Now I have a 20x zoom. Amazing. It's operates when shooting video too. Canon's G series, by comparison, has a larger 1:1.7 sensor compared to the Zs20 1:2.33. But, the zoom is very limited on the Canon and the camera is too big to carry around in your pocket - and it cost twice as much (and the older unavailable G9 model is better than the later ones I hear.) Their competitor for this Panasonic is their 20x zoom model SX260SH with a similar 1:2.33 CMOS sensor. Professional reviewers are rating the Zs20 higher than the comparable Canon, which is slightly larger, heavier, and costs more. Everyone raves about Panasonic's Leica lenses, with good reason. The Zs20 is just an amazing camera for the price. It's even slightly smaller than the Zs 7,8/9/10 and easy to carry in your pocket in a thin stretch case. Like the Zs7 (which never cost less than about $250.00) it has the 460,000 dot bright LCD screen, HDMI out, and GPS. It also has more features than the Zs7 or 8/9/10. Don't expect the price to get much lower. As I recall, the Zs10 (the real predecessor of the Zs20) price came down to about the Zs20 price today, or maybe at the very end, a few dollars less, but I wouldn't wait. Panasonic may refuse to lower the price any further. It's already so heavily discounted, and there is a limit to how low they'll go. If you want the absolute best deal, get a "used" one from Amazon Warehouse. It's hardly, if at all "used," and most likely brand new but returned for some reason and re-packaged. You have 30 days to send it back if there is anything wrong with it. You don't get the one year warranty however, so if that's important to you, but a new one. It's definitely worth the price. I already had an extra battery but you can buy a non-proprietary battery very inexpensively that lasts even longer than the battery that comes with the camera. I also had a wall charger (two - from my Zs7 and Zs9)), so I didn't have to buy that. I'd say that's the only thing Panasonic let down on. It's worth getting a wall charger, but it should come with the camera. This is the first time it doesn't. Don't let it deter you.

I debated a couple of months about replacing my 18 month old ZS19 with the ZS 20. Specifically, I needed to replace the ZS19 because I damaged it when it bumped a table because I had it on the strap on my wrist. The bump caused a lens error that would have cost about $180 to have Panasonic repair look at it and possibly more than that. The ZS20 came up on sale for less than the repair cost, so what to do? I really really liked the ZS19 - GREAT zoom acuity, plenty of features for the wanna-be photog who likes to take more than vacation shots but doesn't want to be bothered with the bigger camera and the changeable lenses (downside - no viewfinder, which took a while to get used to, and which I would love to have - maybe when the costs come down). So, I went back and forth, back and forth, looking at tons of options. Do I chance getting the same camera (difference is the ZS has GPS, which doesn't matter to me) getting damaged easily, or do I go for more sophistication? Do I spend more money on something I don't really need just because I fear damage. Decided to stay with the ZS family, and I'm not sorry, yet. Same great photos, great zoom, small size - stick it in a pocket or purse, BUT DON"T CARRY IT ON A WRIST. I DID purchase the additional warranty for less than $40 for 2 extra years. After my experience with the ZS19, it seems well worth it. Hopefully it will not be necessary to use it. I would definitely recommend this camera to anyone wanting a good camera without the costs of additional lenses.

I never take the time to write reviews on any items,but i thought this might help someone with their decision making. First let me start by saying that I'm one of the pickiest person when it comes to buying a camera. Over the years I had few favorites and when they broke down I dreaded the process of looking for another great camera. I hate reading GREAT REVIEWS, buying the product, taking it for a ride in different environment only to discover that the camera works great in some instances but not in others (i.e. sometimes a camera it's great in day light but lacks during night scenes, or it's great when you use the zoom a little bit but not so great when you zoom all the way out, or it's fast in day light and slower at night, etc., etc.). I bought and returned so many cameras I lost count. After my everyday point-and-shoot camera broke down few months ago I thought I'll never find a great camera, but I did, actually I found 3 and one is a WINNER! I bought many cameras, my recent purchases were: this camera ( Panasonic dmc-zs20),PANASONIC DMX-ZS25, and PANASONIC DMC-ZS19. I have to say that all 3 cameras are outstanding,and I had a hard time deciding which one to keep. I was so set to keep ZS25 for many reasons: although it's similar to zs19 the thing I love about ZS25 were the on/off button (it's push and not slide)& the review button (it's push and not slide, which is annoying on zs19/zs20). If you don't care for those two items than all 3 cameras seem to be the same. The major difference between the them is: 1. zs20 has a GPS while the zs19 doesn't (which I don't care for anyway, since it just kills the battery) 2. zs19 has a semi-touch screen and zs20 doesn't ( this is a pretty handy addition when reviewing pictures in a hurry, unfortunately you can't delete pictures with a touch which would've been great). The touch screen can be used when you want to take pictures by just touching the screen and focusing on certain things. 3. during recording with zs19 you can take 12 pictures, while with zs20 you can take only 1! AND THIS WAS THE DEAL BREAKER FOR ME WHEN IT CAME TO THE ZS20 AND THE MAIN REASON WHY I HAD TO PICK THE ZS19 AS A WINNER. EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN STOP AND SAVE A STILL PICTURE FROM A VIDEO, IT'S STILL NICE TO HAVE THE OPTION TO CHOSE EXACTLY WHEN YOU WANT TO TAKE A PICTURE DURING RECORDING! I love everything about both cameras, the quality it's the same, the LCD it's a bit more colorful on the zs20 (only when viewing, the pictures LOOK nicer on the zs20 but the quality it's exactly the same when viewed on a computer), the pictures are great in any situation even at night and in low light ( which it's the problem with most cameras). WHAT IMPRESSED ME THE MOST ON BOTH OF THESE CAMERAS IS HOW FAST THEY ARE (IN LOW LIGHT TOO) AND A HUGE PLUS FOR BOTH IS THE BUST MODE WITH FLASH (ON ALL SETTINGS EXCEPT FOR iAUTO) WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO TAKE A SERIES OF RAPID FIRE PICTURES WITH FLASH FULLY WORKING! Like I said I tried many cameras ( different models, brands, prices, etc.) and all the cameras that I tried that have a BURST mode option don't have BURST WITH FLASH (which in good light is not a problem but when you do need a flash...and most of the times indoors you need a flash...the pictures taken with BURST MODE WITHOUT A FLASH WILL LOOK LIKE CRAP). I was really impressed with both cameras so far but few days ago I went on a field trip with my son and the zs19 won me over (I'm sure zs20 would've been the same). The pictures I took with the zoom fully extended were UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERYDAY :) SO FAR I TOOK PICTURES INSIDE, OUTSIDE, RAIN, SNOW, COLD, SUNNY, BIRTHDAYS WHERE KIDS MOVE CONSTANTLY, SOCCER GAME WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF ACTION, ETC. AND I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. ONE THING I NOTICED THAT THIS CAMERA DOESN'T HAVE AND I WISH IT DID IS A SNOW/BEACH SETTING WHICH I FOUND VERY HANDY ON MY OTHER CAMERAS. ONE MORE THING IT'S GREAT ON THOSE TWO CAMERAS IT'S THE PANORAMA SETTING,ON SOME CAMERAS YOU HAVE TO TAKE ONE PICTURE AND FOR THE NEXT ONE YOU'LL HAVE TO ALIGN THE PREVIOUS PICTURE ON THE SCREEN IN ORDER TO MATCH THE NEXT ONE, ON THE PANASONIC ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS KEEP THE SHUTTER PRESS AND MOVE YOUR BODY 360 degrees,it's super cool even my kids were very impressed :) So, overall both cameras are outstanding but for me the fact that I have the choice to take more than one picture while recording made me decide to keep the zs19. If the zs20 would've had this option I would've loved to keep it because I liked the two buttons better (on/off and review) and the LCD was a bit more vivid. One more plus with the zs19 was the touch screen. I think it all depends on what you're top requirements are. I hope I helped someone by writeing this review. Good luck.

I had the Lumix ZS1 I think it was called before this one. The reason I don't totally remember the name is because I gave it to my sister after buy this camera and she loves it. It was a great camera and still had a lot of life in it but I just wanted more. I can take over 100 pictures a day, I have been known to take over 3000 during a special event. I live up in the mountains by a lake, with deer and all kinds of wild life and a lake I can see from my deck. My camera needs to be small to be carried in my purse and/or pockets. I need it to work on the spot and have the best zoom ever. Well saying all that, my Lumix ZS20 does all that, the zoom is outrageous for such a small camera. I took a picture of the moon like it was at arm link and we all know how far the moon is away from us. I could see ever crater on it. I placed that picture on Facebook and no one could believe I took it with a pocket camera. This camera takes picture like a high power, expensive camera. The GPS is nice too, but I think it helps eat up the battery. I did not like the battery that came with this camera or the charger so I bought me a 2 battery charger deal at a cheap price out here in Amazon and it works great and I bought a 16gb card. I have not missed a sunrise/set or deer picture yet. And it take great grandbaby pics too. It is a very easy camera to use and has professional settings for all you who like to set your own cameras to work how you want them to work. Great buy. Great camera.

Update after about a year: For a pocket camera, this is more than I had expected. I didn't even bother bringing my larger Canon DSLR with us on vacation. This camera took great videos and photos. I'd still buy it again. Old Review: I did quite a bit of research via amazon, newegg and other websites as well as visiting local retail stores. What I found was that virtually all of the cameras had at least some negative reviews, usually related to a user getting a lemon. It would appear that quality control is a bit of a problem for all of the major brands. That being said, I wanted a camera that was small enough to easily fit into a pocket, a better than average zoom, could shoot panoramic shots, intuitive user interface and had better than average HD video. This camera has not disappointed me in any way. It has actually exceeded my expectations. One of the reasons I purchased this camera is because of its GPS capabilities. I must digress for a moment here. I bought this as a present for my wife. She had the patience to figure out how to use the GPS function. I was amazed that once she had it set up, the location, including the special attraction we were at, scrolled across the bottom of the photo. Awesome!!!! There is one function for taking photos through glass which has been very useful when taking photos through the windshield of the car while moving. It virtually removed all reflections. The quality of the photos ( crispness and color) is excellent. I was really surprised by the quality of the HD video that was taken inside in low light. Although not perfect, it was definitely acceptable, considering the lighting level. The sound quality was also acceptable, especially when considering that the primary function of the camera is still photos. For the money, I think it is a great camera loaded with some unique features that many other cameras don't have.

...My review will not contain technical information about this camera, rather it will be about the reasons why I love this camera. I own several digital cameras including a couple of Olpmpus and a couple of Canon and a couple of Panasonic. So far, of all my digital cameras, this is by far my favorite. Why? Because it does what I want. I would love to have one of those really expensive SLR digital cameras with all types of lenses and gadgets and if I were younger, I would have. However, now in my seventies, I do not want to carry around a lot of heavy camera equipment. I want a camera that can stay in my purse and be ready when I want it. ...I want to be able to zoom in on something in the distance and this one does allow me to do that. No, I cannot zoom in on something a mile away but this does give me a lot of zoom for such a small camera. ...I also want to take detailed close up pictures of flowers. etc., and this does just that. For example, I recently took a close up of a rose and when I downloaded it to my computer, there was a spider on one petal of the rose that happened to be the same color as the petal. I did not see that spider when I took the picture but it was clear and detailed. ...My favorite pictures are of my great granddaughter who never sits still for very long which really does not matter because this camera will handle her actions. ...I also like to take pictures through my windows of the birds, deer, turkeys and so on that pass by in my yard. There is a special setting that works well for that. ...I take a lot of pictures in cemeteries to add to memorials in findagrave and of all my digital cameras, this one works best. One reason is that sometimes my pictures will be in partial sun and partial shade. My previous cameras did not handle that scenerio like this camera does. My other cameras will take well in the shade but the sunny part would be washed out or the sunny part would be good but did not get good details in the shade. I very seldom have to do any tweaking of the pictures I take with this camera as they are are usually clear and sharp and ready to print. ...I have not explored everything about this camera as yet but for everyday use, convenience of size and use, I am more than thrilled with what I can do. Oh, and did I mention how great the video turns out. We have a small waterfall in our yard and I took some videos of it. WOW. The videos are great and the sound clear. Thank you panasonic for my great camera. Finally, the price was great on Amazon and I did a lot of looking before I bought it.

As someone who uses a camera rarely, by the time I need one again (for things that can't be handled by my cell phone) I'll have lost the charger, the camera, the cable, or the battery's flatlined and can't be revived short of a defibrillator and CPR - and have you ever tried mouth to mouth on a battery? I don't recommend trying it twice. So I've bought about 8 cameras over the last 15 years - and each one has been a major step up in capacity and utility for the price. The price point stays the same, but MP count and features stack like crazy. So let's get started... The good - Low light - I'm significantly impressed. Shots that would have taken flash before come out reasonably clear without it. The Intelligent Auto mode picks up what you want to do pretty well. The Night Mode Scene selection give you a number of options - though I could wish that the max exposure time would be a bit more than 15 seconds. (The ZS10 model will do up to 60, but I found that the pictures were a bit muddy, and for an extra $10-20 more the ZS20 is much more capable. A year makes quite a difference!) Macro Mode - Ridiculously close, decently sharp. Have fun, but I don't recommend getting a good shot of your earbuds, unless you REALLY want to see what you're sticking in your ears. Flower buds are one thing, earbuds another. Also very good for reading fine print in contracts, SD card markings (Did you know that the speed rating is marked by a C with a number inside? C10 is fastest, but on the micro-SC cards I use that marking looks like a little blob.) and more. I'm pleased with the sharpness of the pictures overall. Regular shots - I'm pleased with the sharpness of the pictures again. The panorama setting is VERY nice, the high-contrast scene setting works quite well even in lower light settings. Fiddle a bit with it, and see what you can do. Video - Lots of options. LOTS of options. Want to take a video at 220 frames per second? This will do it, though at a pretty small frame size. (QVGA) I look forward to about two years from now where it'll be 220 fps at 14MP... Zoom shots - The optical zoom is excellent - my favorite test (at least for this camera) is to find a small item about 40-50 feet away, then zoom in on it and see what level of detail I can get. I'm checking a fire sprinkler head, about 4 inches in size. It's reasonably clear, to the point where I can see the lettering on it, but not quite able to read them. Adding in the IA zoom, and it's larger - but not quite so clear. That's to be expected, since it's interpolating between the pixels it has to make it out to a simulated 40x. Good enough, for a pocket camera. (BTW, the ZS10 didn't do nearly so well.) On that matter, I've noticed that there's some 'fuzz' when I take a 14 MP image and examine it very closely. After a while, I realized it was the result of a 14 MP image being taken down to the pixel level. A 2 or 4MP shot will have a fairly defined delineation between two pixels on an edge, for instance. With a 14MP shot, you'll have four or five or six pixels where there were two before so it gets a bit trickier trying to find an edge. This might lead you to think the shot is fuzzy - and in a sense it is because you're getting a lot more info than you're used to, the camera can show you more detail. This might be a problem for some users. It's not for me. In a way, it's reminiscent of the graininess of photographic film - the lower the speed, the finer the grain. I'll have to fiddle a bit with it to see whether the 100 speed or 3200 speed settings have more grain in a particular situation. Now... the bad. I like manuals for cameras, since they'll detail out what the various settings are and how to use them. The basic user's manual with this doesn't cut it beyond very basic functions. Fortunately, an Advanced User's Manual is available from Panasonic, [...] - which details what each setting does. And at a cost of 'FREE' for the download, it's a very worthwhile addition. I'd have liked a more comprehensive manual in paper - but at least I can find it on the internet. Included graphics editing software - it's slow. But it works. But it's slow - and not terribly simple. Wizards will attempt to do everything for you - where I'd prefer to get by without them. Maybe it'll grow on me, or maybe I'll just get a copy of Photoshop Elements or use GIMP. Time will tell. The 3D function... Yay for being able to take photos in 3D! Boo for needing a 3D enabled TV to display them on. I don't know I'll use this particular function - but it's interesting that it's there. Battery life... I don't like internal charging. I really prefer an external - but there's a good number of external options. Just check the "Customers also bought this" section, you'll spot them. I purchased one from TheMemeStore, the charger works fine and the batteries are fully compatible. So that's a solution. I think it'd be better to keep the external charger - but that's just me. Firmware updates - the current firmware version shipping is 1.0 - but Panasonic's got a version 1.1 which upgrades the low-light capabilities of the camera. And at the cost of 'Free', I'd advise getting it. It's not a tough install. To sum up - this is a very capable camera, at an affordable price. The controls are easy to use, the various settings not quite so much but you can puzzle them out after a fashion. You might not find the pictures to your liking - but I think they're as sharp as any film camera's ever come up with and then some. It's not a flawless camera - but it's pretty darn good and (with any luck) it'll last me a year w/no problems...

This is my second Lumix after having Canons. I had a ZS3 with 12X optical zoom. I absolutely loved that camera (a friend dropped it). I took a picture once on full zoom out of a plane window of a ship in the water below at least 2 miles away. It was just a speck in the distance. I then magnified the image on the camera's screen and I could see the color of the ship, how many stacks it had, etc. It was simply amazing. Well, I bought this thinking that the 20X zoom would be even better. It was not, and actually it is nowhere close to the ZS3. There is something wrong with the focus. When you zoom on the screen the picture is fuzzy. I took the same picture with the Z20 and an older Canon. The old Cannon looked much better. This camera may be too technically ambitious. It has some nice features but they went way over the top and made a mess in the process. I also went to Costco and checked out the Z19 -- it seemed to be better, although I had to take a picture in the store and I didn't have a direct comparison. I read some other reviews here saying that someone else had the same problem and that Panasonic was updating the firmware. But I called Panasonic twice and they have no firmware update planned and the reps said they know of no such problem. The firmware on the camera is version 1.0. I told them about the reviews on Amazon and they clearly didn't want to know anything about it. I can't live with fuzzy pictures so this camera is going back to Amazon. Buyer beware. UPDATE----I have since gone back to Costco to check out the zs-19 and looked at it more carefully. The fuzziness was no better than the ZS-20. So I ended up replacing my original ZS-3 with a factory refurbished unit I found online. It will get me through until Panasonic fixes their issues. What was also interesting was that several sources online sell the ZS-3 new for $4-500 even though it's an old model. The lens was really great on the ZS3. The later ZS models use some lens tricks to try and get the same results using less lens -- this could be an issue.

Great camera for the price. 2nd one we've had and liked them both