Panasonic TS20 vs Olympus TG-4 Comparison

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Panasonic TS20

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

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Olympus TG-4

16 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Panasonic TS20 vs Olympus TG-4 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing TS20 and TG-4, two Waterproof cameras from Panasonic and Olympus. Both Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 cameras have 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensors. Panasonic TS20 was introduced to market in January 2012 and Olympus TG-4 was launched in April 2015. As you can see, TS20 is 3 years older than TG-4. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

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

Olympus TG-4 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2015-04-13

16MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400

25-100 mm F2.0-4.9 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

5.0 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

247g. 112 x 66 x 31 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Olympus Tough TG-3 Compare

Olympus TG-4 was replaced by Olympus Tough TG-5. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus Tough TG-5 vs Olympus Tough TG-4
Olympus Tough TG-5 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20 (Lumix DMC-FT20)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20 over Olympus Tough TG-4

Weight	142 g vs 247 g	105 g lighter

Reasons to choose Olympus Tough TG-4 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
Live Composite Mode	Yes vs No	Excellent help for long-exposure photography
GPS	BuiltIn vs None	track your location
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Number of Focus Points	25 vs 23	2 more focus points
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.7"	0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/2000s vs 1/1300s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	5.0fps vs 1.0fps	4 fps faster
Battery Life	380 shots vs 250 shots	130 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Max Aperture - Wide	2.00 vs 3.90	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	4.90 vs 5.70	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	7.9m vs 4.4m	3.5m longer range
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video
Focus Bracketing	Yes vs No	Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking	Yes vs No	Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20 and Olympus Tough TG-4

Image Stabilization	Optical vs Sensor-shift	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20 and Olympus Tough TG-4

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
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 460k dots	Low resolution screens
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control
AE Bracketing	No vs No	Not good for multi-exposure HDR

Panasonic TS20 vs Olympus TG-4: 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 Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. 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). Olympus TG-4 has external dimensions of 112 x 66 x 31 mm (4.41 x 2.6 x 1.22″) and weighs 247 g (0.54 lb / 8.71 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4. Panasonic TS20 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 11mm narrower, 8mm shorter and 12mm thinner than Olympus TG-4.

Comparison image of Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4.

Comparison image of Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 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 (105g ) than the Olympus TG-4 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

TS20

TG-4

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

TS20

TG-4

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus TG-4'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.

Panasonic TS20 vs Olympus TG-4: Sensor Comparison

Both Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 have 1/2.3-inch sized 16.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the TS20 and TG-4 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 Cameras

Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 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.

Panasonic TS20 vs Olympus TG-4 Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic TS20 features a 25-100 mm F3.9-5.7 4× zoom lens whereas Olympus TG-4 features a 25-100 mm F2.0-4.9 4x zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 25mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.00, Olympus TG-4 is faster than Panasonic TS20 at this focal length. Both cameras have a tele angle reach of 100mm. However, with a max aperture of f4.90, Olympus TG-4 is faster than Panasonic TS20 at this focal length.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

TS20

TG-4

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

TS20

TG-4

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

TS20

TG-4

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

TS20

TG-4

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 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.

Panasonic TS20 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Olympus TG-4 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

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

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic TS20 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus TG-4 for Street Photography

GOOD

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

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Panasonic TS20 for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus TG-4 for Sports Photography

POOR

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

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Environmental Sealings
25 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
100 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Panasonic TS20 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus TG-4 for Daily Photography

GOOD

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

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
247g
Environmental Sealings
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3 sensor
Read the details

Panasonic TS20 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus TG-4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
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

Manual Focus Mode
Environmental Sealings
Built-in GPS
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Panasonic TS20 vs Olympus TG-4: 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 Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4, 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 Panasonic TS20 and Olympus TG-4 scores compare:

Panasonic TS20

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #248 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #846 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Olympus TG-4

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #18 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #336 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Olympus TG-4 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic TS20 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic TS20. Otherwise, Olympus TG-4 is the better camera overall.

Olympus TG-4 vs Panasonic TS20 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20	Olympus Tough TG-4
Brand	Panasonic	Olympus
Announced	2012-01-31	2015-04-13
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	BSI-CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.08 x 4.56 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	27.72mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	4608 x 3456	4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 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	23	25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-100 mm (4×)	25-100 mm (4x)
Max Aperture	F3.9-5.7	F2.0-4.9
Macro Focus Range	5cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.7"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/1300s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	4.40 m	7.90 m (at ISO 1600)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps	5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4	H.264, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	142g	247g
Dimensions	101 x 58 x 19mm	112 x 66 x 31mm
Battery Life	250 shots	380 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction