CameraDecision
  • CAMERAS
  • LENSES
  • TOOLS
    • Smart Find
    • 1-on-1 Comparison
    • Size Comparison
  • BRANDS
    • Sony Cameras
    • Canon Cameras
    • Nikon Cameras
    • Pentax Cameras
    • Fujifilm Cameras
    • Olympus Cameras
    • Panasonic Cameras
    • Leica Cameras
    • Samsung Cameras
  • BODY TYPE
    • Mirrorless Cameras
    • DSLR Cameras
    • Compact Cameras
    • Bridge Cameras
    • Waterproof Cameras

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic TS20 Comparison

x
Camera to replace
Change

Nikon L120

14 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

Nikon L120
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Change

Panasonic TS20

16 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

Panasonic TS20
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Nikon L120 vs Panasonic TS20 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon L120, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Panasonic TS20, which was introduced in January 2012 is a Waterproof camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. There is 12 months difference between L120 and TS20 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger TS20, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon L120 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-09
  • 14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 431g. 110 x 77 x 78 mm
  • Replaced Nikon Coolpix L110 Compare

Panasonic TS20 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-01-31
  • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 25-100 mm F3.9-5.7 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 2.7" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 142g. 101 x 58 x 19 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Also known as Lumix DMC-FT20

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L120 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.7" 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 230k dots 300% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/1300s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
330 shots vs 250 shots 80 more frames with a single charge
Focal Length - Tele
525mm vs 100mm 425 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
21× vs 4× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
3.10 vs 3.90 faster lens at wide
Flash Coverage
6.0m vs 4.4m 1.6m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
2.01µm2 vs 1.74µm2 15% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20 over Nikon Coolpix L120
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 14 MP 14% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
23 vs 9 14 more focus points
Weight
142 g vs 431 g 289 g lighter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Max Aperture - Tele
5.70 vs 5.80 faster lens at tele

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Optical Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support
No vs No Lower image quality
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.7" Small display
Continuous Shooting
1.0fps vs 1.0fps Slow shooting speeds
Manual Focusing
No vs No No manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure
No vs No No manual exposure control
Max Aperture - Tele
5.80 vs 5.70 Slow lenses at tele
Nikon L120 vs Panasonic TS20: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon L120 has external dimensions of 110 x 77 x 78 mm (4.33 x 3.03 x 3.07″) and weighs 431 g (0.95 lb / 15.20 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic TS20 has external dimensions of 101 x 58 x 19 mm (3.98 x 2.28 x 0.75″) and weighs 142 g (0.31 lb / 5.01 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20. Panasonic TS20 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 9mm narrower, 19mm shorter and 59mm thinner than Nikon L120.

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic TS20 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20.

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic TS20 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20.
Nikon L120 vs Panasonic TS20 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic TS20 is significantly lighter (289g ) than the Nikon L120 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

L120
TS20
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

L120
TS20
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon L120's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic TS20's 2.7" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Nikon L120 vs Panasonic TS20: Sensor Comparison

Nikon L120 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Panasonic TS20 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the L120 and TS20 sensor size comparison.

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic TS20 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20 Cameras


Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic TS20 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon L120 features a 25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 21× zoom lens whereas Panasonic TS20 features a 25-100 mm F3.9-5.7 4× zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 25mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f3.10, Nikon L120 is faster than Panasonic TS20 at this focal length. On the tele end, Nikon L120 has 425mm longer reach than the Panasonic TS20. However, with a max aperture of f5.70, Panasonic TS20 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

L120
TS20
Widest - Ricoh WG-M1
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

L120
TS20
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

L120
TS20
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

L120
TS20
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon L120 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Panasonic TS20 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic TS20 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Slow Lens at Wide: f3.90
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic TS20 for Sports Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
525 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
23 Focus Points
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1300s
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
100 mm Tele Lens
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic TS20 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Compact Body
21.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
431g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details
Compact Body
142g
Body Thickness 19mm
Environmental Sealings
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic TS20 for Landscape Photography

POOR
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Environmental Sealings
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic TS20: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon L120 and Panasonic TS20 scores compare:

Nikon L120
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #216 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #792 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Panasonic TS20
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #249 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #845 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon L120 has a higher Overall Score than the Panasonic TS20 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon L120
Nikon L120
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Panasonic TS20
Panasonic TS20
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Panasonic TS20 vs Nikon L120 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix L120 Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20
Brand Nikon Panasonic
Announced 2011-02-09 2012-01-31
Body Type Compact Compact
Sensor
Type CCD CCD
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area 28.07mm2 27.72mm2
Megapixels 14 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4320 x 3240 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 80 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 9 23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 25-525 mm (21×) 25-100 mm (4×)
Max Aperture F3.1-5.8 F3.9-5.7
Macro Focus Range 1cm 5cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 2.7"
Resolution 921k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/1300s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 6.00 m 4.40 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 1.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1280 x 720 1280 x 720
Video Formats Motion JPEG MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 431g 142g
Dimensions 110 x 77 x 78mm 101 x 58 x 19mm
Battery Life 330 shots 250 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
Report a correction Report a correction


FOLLOW US


Most Popular Cameras
Nikon Z7
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Sony A6000
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Sony A7 III
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Fujifilm X-T3
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Canon R
30 MP | Full frame Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Sony A6400
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Nikon D5600
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Nikon D850
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Top Rated Compact Cameras
Top Compact Cameras Under $200
Top Compact Cameras Under $500
Top Compact Cameras Under $750
Top Compact Cameras Under $1000
Top Rated Waterproof Cameras
Top Waterproof Cameras Under $200
Top Waterproof Cameras Under $500
Top Waterproof Cameras Under $750
Top Waterproof Cameras Under $1000
Latest Cameras
Fujifilm GFX 100S
102 MP | Medium format Sensor | Fujifilm G Mount
Fujifilm X-E4
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Sony a1
50 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Leica SL2-S
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Leica Q2 Monochrom
47 MP | Full frame Sensor | 28 mm
Fujifilm X-S10
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Nikon Z7 II
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Nikon Z6 II
25 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Copyright © 2021 by CameraDecision
About Feedback Privacy Cameras

Report a Correction