Panasonic ZS7 vs Olympus SP-820UZ Comparison

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Panasonic ZS7

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

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Olympus SP-820UZ

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

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Panasonic ZS7 vs Olympus SP-820UZ Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing ZS7 and SP-820UZ, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras from Panasonic and Olympus. Both cameras have 1/2.3-inch sensors but Panasonic ZS7 has a 12.0 MP and Olympus SP-820UZ has a 14.0 MP resolution. Panasonic ZS7 was introduced to market in July 2011 and Olympus SP-820UZ was launched in August 2012. There is 13 months difference between ZS7 and SP-820UZ so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger SP-820UZ, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic ZS7 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-07-19

12MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 6400

25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

2 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

Built-in GPS

218g. 103 x 60 x 33 mm

Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ10

Olympus SP-820UZ Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-08-21

14MP - 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 6400

22-896 mm F3.4-5.7 Zoom Lens

3" Fixed Type Screen

2 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

240fps High-Speed Video

485g. 117 x 78 x 93 mm mm

Replaced Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ Compare

Panasonic ZS7 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 (Lumix DMC-TZ10)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 vs Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 over Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ

Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
GPS	BuiltIn vs None	track your location
Weight	218 g vs 485 g	267 g lighter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Max Aperture - Wide	3.30 vs 3.40	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	4.90 vs 5.70	faster lens at tele

Reasons to choose Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7

Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	14 MP vs 12 MP	16% more pixels
Focal Length - Wide	22mm vs 25mm	3 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	896mm vs 300mm	596 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	40× vs 12×	more flexible focal coverage
Flash Coverage	15.0m vs 5.3m	9.7m longer range
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 and Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Focal Length - Tele	300mm vs 896mm	Very good Telezoom

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 and Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ

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 Resolution	460k dots vs 460k dots	Low resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs 2.0fps	Slow shooting speeds
Manual Focusing	No vs No	No manual focusing modes
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Panasonic ZS7 vs Olympus SP-820UZ: 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 ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic ZS7 has external dimensions of 103 x 60 x 33 mm (4.06 x 2.36 x 1.3″) and weighs 218 g (0.48 lb / 7.69 oz) (including batteries). Olympus SP-820UZ has external dimensions of and weighs 485 g (1.07 lb / 17.11 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ. Panasonic ZS7 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 14mm narrower, 18mm shorter and 60mm thinner than Olympus SP-820UZ.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic ZS7 is significantly lighter (267g ) than the Olympus SP-820UZ which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS7

SP-820UZ

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS7

SP-820UZ

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 (Lumix DMC-TZ10) nor Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Panasonic ZS7 vs Olympus SP-820UZ: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic ZS7 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Venus Engine HD II processor. On the other hand, Olympus SP-820UZ has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the ZS7 and SP-820UZ sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ Cameras

Panasonic ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ 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 ZS7 vs Olympus SP-820UZ Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic ZS7 features a 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 12× zoom lens whereas Olympus SP-820UZ features a 22-896 mm F3.4-5.7 40× zoom lens.

Olympus SP-820UZ has 3mm wider coverage than the Panasonic ZS7. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f3.30, Panasonic ZS7 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Olympus SP-820UZ has 596mm longer telezoom reach than the Panasonic ZS7. However, with a max aperture of f4.90, Panasonic ZS7 is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

ZS7

SP-820UZ

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

ZS7

SP-820UZ

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

ZS7

SP-820UZ

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

ZS7

SP-820UZ

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ 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 ZS7 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Olympus SP-820UZ for Portrait Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
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
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
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

Panasonic ZS7 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus SP-820UZ for Street Photography

POOR

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
Read the details

Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
22 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Panasonic ZS7 for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus SP-820UZ for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
11 Focus Points
300 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

896 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No Image Stabilization
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: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details

Panasonic ZS7 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus SP-820UZ for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Compact Body
218g
12.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Compact Body
40.7X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
485g
Body Thickness 93mm
Read the details

Panasonic ZS7 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus SP-820UZ for Landscape Photography

POOR

Manual Exposure Mode
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Built-in GPS
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

22 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

Panasonic ZS7 vs Olympus SP-820UZ: 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 ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ, 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 ZS7 and Olympus SP-820UZ scores compare:

Panasonic ZS7

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #229 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #821 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Olympus SP-820UZ

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #394 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1078 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Panasonic ZS7 has a higher Overall Score than the Olympus SP-820UZ. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that ZS7 trails behind the SP-820UZ: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Olympus SP-820UZ. If not, we recommend the Panasonic ZS7.

Olympus SP-820UZ vs Panasonic ZS7 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7	Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ
Brand	Panasonic	Olympus
Announced	2011-07-19	2012-08-21
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	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	12 megapixels	14 megapixels
Max Resolution	4000 x 3000	4288 x 3216
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 ISO	80 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	11	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-300 mm (12×)	22-896 mm (40×)
Max Aperture	F3.3-4.9	F3.4-5.7
Macro Focus Range	3cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	460k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.30 m	15.00 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	2.0 fps	2.0 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	AVCHD Lite	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	218g	485g
Dimensions	103 x 60 x 33mm	117 x 78 x 93 mmmm
Battery Life	n/a	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Built-in	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction