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Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS20 Comparison

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Nikon P500

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon P500
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Panasonic TS20

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

Panasonic TS20
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Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS20 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon P500, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 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 P500 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 P500 and Panasonic TS20 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon P500 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-09
  • 12MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 3200
  • 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • 494g. 116 x 84 x 103 mm

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

Nikon P500 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P510. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Nikon Coolpix P500
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20 (Lumix DMC-FT20)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS20 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
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
1/1500s vs 1/1300s faster mechanical shutter
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Focal Length - Wide
23mm vs 25mm 2 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
810mm vs 100mm 710 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
36× vs 4× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
3.40 vs 3.90 faster lens at wide
Flash Coverage
8.0m vs 4.4m 3.6m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
2.34µm2 vs 1.74µm2 34% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20 over Nikon Coolpix P500
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
6.400 vs 3.200 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
23 vs 9 14 more focus points
Battery Life
250 shots vs 220 shots 30 more frames with a single charge
Weight
142 g vs 494 g 352 g lighter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P500 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 P500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
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
Max Aperture - Tele
5.70 vs 5.70 Slow lenses at tele
Nikon P500 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 P500 and Panasonic TS20 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon P500 has external dimensions of 116 x 84 x 10 mm (4.57 x 3.31 x 4.06″) and weighs 494 g (1.09 lb / 17.43 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 P500 and Panasonic TS20. Panasonic TS20 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 15mm narrower, 26mm shorter and 84mm thinner than Nikon P500.

Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS20 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS20 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS20.

Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS20 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS20 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS20.
Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS20 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon P500 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 (352g ) than the Nikon P500 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

P500
TS20
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

P500
TS20
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon P500's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic TS20's 2.7" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Nikon P500 LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Panasonic TS20 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to P500.
Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS20: Sensor Comparison

Nikon P500 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS 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 P500 and TS20 sensor size comparison.

Nikon P500 vs Panasonic TS20 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS20 Cameras


Nikon P500 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 P500 vs Panasonic TS20 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon P500 features a 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 36× zoom lens whereas Panasonic TS20 features a 25-100 mm F3.9-5.7 4× zoom lens.

Nikon P500 has 2mm wider coverage than the Panasonic TS20. At f3.40, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon P500 has 710mm longer reach than the Panasonic TS20. Both cameras has a max aperture of f5.70 at tele end.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500
TS20
Widest - Samsung WB2200F
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

P500
TS20
Longest - Nikon P1000
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

P500
TS20
Fastest - Olympus 1
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

P500
TS20
Fastest - Sony RX10 III
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon P500 and Panasonic TS20 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P500 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 P500 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic TS20 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
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 P500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic TS20 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
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 P500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic TS20 for Sports Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
810 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
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 P500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic TS20 for Daily Photography

GOOD
35.2X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
494g
Body Thickness 103mm
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 P500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic TS20 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
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 P500 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 P500 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 P500 and Panasonic TS20 scores compare:

Nikon P500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #50 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #556 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 P500 has a higher Overall Score than the Panasonic TS20 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon P500
Nikon P500
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Panasonic TS20
Panasonic TS20
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Panasonic TS20 vs Nikon P500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix P500 Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20
Brand Nikon Panasonic
Announced 2011-02-09 2012-01-31
Body Type SLR-like (bridge) Compact
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS 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 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 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 23-810 mm (36×) 25-100 mm (4×)
Max Aperture F3.4-5.7 F3.9-5.7
Macro Focus Range 1cm 5cm
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3" 2.7"
Resolution 921k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/1500s 1/1300s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 8.00 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 1920 x 1080 1280 x 720
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 494g 142g
Dimensions 116 x 84 x 103mm 101 x 58 x 19mm
Battery Life 220 shots 250 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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