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Pentax VS20 Review

  • Overview
  • Alternatives
  • Pentax VS20

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    Main Features

    • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
    • ISO 100 - 6400
    • 28-560 mm F3.1-4.8 Zoom Lens
    • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
    • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
    • 1.0fps continuous shooting
    • 235g. 111 x 61 x 38 mm
    CHECK PRICE
    CHECK PRICE

    Pentax VS20 Overview

    Launched in January 2012 , Pentax Optio VS20 is a 16.0MP Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor, built-in Image Stabilization and 20.0x zoom 28-560 mm F3.1-4.8 lens.

    Pentax VS20 Review - Click for Table of Contents

    1. Overview
    2. Pros and Cons
    3. Sensor and Photography Features
    4. Physical Specs
    5. LCD and Viewfinder
    6. Connectivity, Storage and Battery
    7. Video
    8. Other Features
    9. Lens
    10. Photography Type Scores
    11. Alternatives
    12. Popular Comparisons
    13. Frequently Asked Questions
    14. Detailed Specifications

    Pentax VS20 is a member of Pentax's Small Sensor Superzoom class cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this class and how their main specs have changed with each new model.

    Pentax Small Sensor Superzoom Series History
    Model Release Date Sensor Max FPS Dimensions Weight
    Pentax XG-1
    Compare
    2014 16.0MP - 1/2.3' 9.0 fps 119 x 89 x 98mm 567g
    Pentax X-5
    Compare
    2012 16.0MP - 1/2.3-inch 10.0 fps 119 x 86 x 107mm 595g
    Pentax VS20
    2012 16.0MP - 1/2.3-inch 1.0 fps 111 x 61 x 38mm 235g
    Pentax RZ18
    Compare
    2011 16.0MP - 1/2.3-inch 1.0 fps 97 x 61 x 33mm 178g
    Pentax X90
    Compare
    2010 12.0MP - 1/2.3-inch fps 111 x 85 x 110mm 428g

    Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series side by side:
    Pentax XG-1 vs X-5 vs VS20 vs RZ18 vs X90


    **This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Pentax VS20 PROs and CONs Review

    Now let's get in to more details of our Pentax VS20 review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

    PROs
    Image Stabilization
    1/2500s High Shutter Speed
    235g Light Body
    Manual Focusing
    16 MB Internal Storage
    560mm Good Tele Lens
    20.0X Optical Zoom
    Report a correction

    Buy Pentax VS20 from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO


    CONs
    No Wireless Connection
    No Articulating Screen
    No External Flash Shoe
    No Full HD Video
    No Touch Screen
    No Built-in Viewfinder
    No RAW Shooting
    No Face Detection Focusing
    Only 3 Focus Points
    Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
    No Manual Exposure
    No Environmental Sealing
    Slow Lens at Wide: f3.10
    Slow Lens at Tele: f4.80

    Report a correction


    Pentax VS20 Physical Specs
    Pentax VS20 weighs 235 g (0.52 lb / 8.29 oz) and has external dimensions of 111 x 61 x 38 mm (4.37 x 2.4 x 1.5″). Considering that the average weight of Compact type cameras is 188g, Pentax VS20 is a significantly heavy camera for its class. With a thickness of 38mm, it is not small either, 9mm thicker than the average of its class.
    Weight Comparison

    Compact Cameras

    Pentax VS20
    Min
    Average
    Max
    Thickness Comparison

    Compact Cameras

    Pentax VS20
    Min
    Average
    Max

    Here is the front and top view image of Pentax VS20 with the dimensions:

    Pentax VS20 Body Size Dimensions
    Front and Top View External Dimensions and Size of Pentax VS20 Camera Body


    In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Pentax VS20, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.


    Pentax VS20 Body Size Compared to a Credit card and a Battery
    Physical size of the Pentax VS20 Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery



    Below you can find the comparison of the weight and thickness of Pentax VS20 with its main competitors:

    Pentax VS20 Size Compared to Main Competitors
    Model Weight vs VS20 Thickness vs VS20
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Pentax RZ18
    Compare
    178g 57g lighter 33mm 5mm thinner
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Pentax MX-1
    Compare
    391g 156g heavier 51mm 13mm thicker
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Panasonic GX9
    Compare
    450g 215g heavier 47mm 9mm thicker
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Sigma DP2s
    Compare
    280g 45g heavier 56mm 18mm thicker
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Nikon 1 J1
    Compare
    234g 1g lighter 30mm 8mm thinner
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Panasonic FZ300
    Compare
    691g 456g heavier 117mm 79mm thicker
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Canon S120
    Compare
    217g 18g lighter 29mm 9mm thinner
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Casio EX-Z450
    Compare
    128g 107g lighter 21mm 17mm thinner

    Weather Sealing

    Pentax VS20 doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

    Pentax VS20 Lens

    Pentax VS20 features a 28-560 mm F3.1-4.8 20× zoom lens. Lens has a good wide angle capability starting at 28mm and remarkable super telephoto reach at 560mm.

    Wide Coverage

    Compact Cameras

    VS20
    Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS
    Average
    Telezoom

    Compact Cameras

    VS20
    Longest - Canon SX520 HS
    Average

    With a max aperture of f3.10 at 28mm, we can not consider this lens fast on wide end and neither at tele end with its f4.80.

    Max Aperture at Wide

    Compact Cameras

    VS20
    Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
    Average
    Max Aperture at Tele

    Compact Cameras

    VS20
    Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
    Average

    VS20 is equipped with Sensor-shift image stabilization system which is very handy especially at lower shutter speeds. Pentax VS20's lens also has a Manual Focus Mode.

    Pentax VS20 Sensor and Photography Features

    Pentax VS20 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4608 x 3456 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9. VS20 has a native ISO range of 100 - 6400 but unfortunately, Pentax VS20 doesn't have RAW file support. If you need a Compact camera with a RAW support, consider or in the same price range.

    Pentax VS20 is not the highest resolution Small Sensor camera. GoPro Hero11 Black with its 27.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Pentax VS20 vs GoPro Hero11 Black or take a look at Highest resolution Compact cameras list.

    Let's look at how the size of the Pentax VS20's 1/2.3-inch sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

    Pentax VS20 Sensor Size Comparison
    Comparison image of Pentax VS20 Sensor Size with other standard sensors



    Pentax VS20 LCD

    Pentax VS20 has a Fixed Type 3.00-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 460k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.



    Pentax VS20 back view and LCD

    Unfortunately Pentax Optio VS20 doesn't have a Selfie friendly screen. If this feature is important for your shooting style, check here the list of Best Compact Cameras with Selfie Friendly LCD screen.


    VS20 doesn't have a viewfinder and no option for external viewfinder. Lack of a viewfinder can be problematic especially under strong light where visibility of LCD screens goes down dramatically. If you need a Compact camera with a built-in viewfinder in a similar price range, consider Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 (Lumix DMC-TZ100) (Compare) or Nikon Coolpix P7800 (Compare).
    Alternatively, check here the list of all Compact cameras with viewfinder..

    Pentax VS20 Connectivity, Storage and Battery

    Pentax VS20 has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port to connect your camera to other devices.

    Pentax VS20 Features Compared to Main Competitors
    Model Max Video Battery Life Wi-fi Bluetooth NFC
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Pentax RZ18
    Compare
    1280 x 720 shots No No No
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Pentax MX-1
    Compare
    1920 x 1080 290shots No No No
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Panasonic GX9
    Compare
    3840 x 2160 260shots Yes Yes No
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Sigma DP2s
    Compare
    320 x 240 shots No No No
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Nikon 1 J1
    Compare
    1920 x 1080 230shots No No No
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Panasonic FZ300
    Compare
    3840 x 2160 380shots Yes No No
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Canon S120
    Compare
    1920 x 1080 230shots Yes No No
    Pentax Optio VS20 Camera Casio EX-Z450
    Compare
    1280 x 720 shots No No No

    Pentax VS20 Video Features

    With Pentax VS20, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 1280 x 720 at 30,15 fps and save in and Motion JPEG formats. 1280 x 720 is a low video resolution by todays standards. If video quality is important for you, we recommend you to look at cameras with Full HD, even better 4K / Ultra-HD resolution .

    Video Resolutions Comparison Chart



    Microphones, Speaker and Headphone Connections

    Pentax Optio VS20 has a built-in Mono microphone and a Mono speaker. On the other hand, Pentax VS20 doesn't have any connections for external microphones and headphones. If you need a Compact camera with external microphone connectivity, consider or in a similar price range.

    Also read:

    • Best Compact Cameras with Microphone Port
    • Best Compact Cameras with Headphone Port

    If you are getting into videography and want to know what are the must-have video accessories for your camera, read our article:
    Essential Videography / Filmmaking Accessories for your Camera

    Pentax VS20 Other Features

    Max Shutter speed

    Pentax VS20 can shoot continuously at max speed of 1 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/2500 sec.

    Flash

    Unfortunately VS20 doesn't have an external flash shoe so you are limited with the built-in flash.

    Focusing

    Pentax VS20 features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 3 points to choose from.



    What type of Photography is Pentax VS20 Good for?
    In this section, we review and score Pentax VS20 in 5 different photography areas.

    Pentax VS20 for Portrait Photography

    Pentax VS20 has a score of 29 for Portrait Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait We strongly recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Portrait Photography list and consider these alternatives over theVS20.
    Image Stabilization
    Manual Focus Mode
    Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP

    Read the details of how we scored Pentax VS20 for Portrait Photography

    Pentax VS20 for Street Photography

    Pentax VS20 has a score of 61 for Street Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Street Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Compact Cameras for Street Photography list.
    Manual Focus Mode
    Live-view
    Image Stabilization
    28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
    Small Body

    Read the details of how we scored Pentax VS20 for Street Photography

    Pentax VS20 for Sports Photography

    Pentax VS20 has a score of 21 for Sports Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Sports We strongly recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Sports Photography list and consider these alternatives over theVS20.
    Manual Focus Mode
    Image Stabilization
    560 mm Tele Lens
    Average Max shutter speed: 1/2500s

    Read the details of how we scored Pentax VS20 for Sports Photography

    Pentax VS20 for Daily Photography

    Pentax VS20 has a score of 50 for Daily Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Daily is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Daily Photography list.
    Compact Body
    235g
    20.0X Optical Zoom

    Read the details of how we scored Pentax VS20 for Daily Photography

    Pentax VS20 for Landscape Photography

    Pentax VS20 has a score of 21 for Landscape Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape We strongly recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Landscape Photography list and consider these alternatives over theVS20.
    Manual Focus Mode
    28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
    Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP

    Read the details of how we scored Pentax VS20 for Landscape Photography
    Pentax VS20 Alternatives
    In this section, we analyse how Pentax VS20 compares with other Compact cameras within a similar price range.
    Read a more detailed analysis of Pentax VS20 alternatives.

    Popular Comparisons of Pentax VS20

    Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Pentax VS20 amongst Camera Decision readers.

    Pentax RZ18
    Pentax RZ18
    Compare
    Pentax MX-1
    Pentax MX-1
    Compare
    Panasonic GX9
    Panasonic GX9
    Compare
    Sigma DP2s
    Sigma DP2s
    Compare
    Nikon 1 J1
    Nikon 1 J1
    Compare
    Panasonic FZ300
    Panasonic FZ300
    Compare
    Canon S120
    Canon S120
    Compare
    Casio EX-Z450
    Casio EX-Z450
    Compare

    Pentax VS20 Alternatives in Cameras

    It would also be interesting to compare Pentax VS20 with Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked cameras in Pentax VS20's price range.

    Pentax VS20 Conclusion and Scores

    Currently, Pentax VS20 has an Overall Score of 33/100 which is based on our evaluation of 69 different technical parameters. Our scores are dynamically updated whenever a new camera is added to our database or when we change our ranking algorithm and the maximum score is always 100. Pentax Optio VS20 is ranked #339 out of 631 in Compact cameras (Top 20 Compact), and ranked #947 out of 1259 in all Cameras (Top 20 Overall).

    #947 out of 1259 in Top Ranking Cameras
    #339 out of 631 in Top Ranking Compact Cameras
    #225 out of 245 in Top Ranking Small Sensor Superzoom Cameras
    #424 out of 740 in Top Ranking Small Sensor Sensor Cameras
    #440 out of 536 in Lightest Compact Cameras with Small Sensor sensor(235g)
    #606 out of 918 in Top Ranking Cameras with Fixed Type Screen
    Geek Score: 0

    Main Scores
    Imaging
    Features
    Value for Money
    Portability
    Overall Score
    Check our Smart Finder Tool to filter, sort and compare all digital cameras.

    Frequently Asked Questions about Pentax VS20
    Does the Pentax VS20 have Image Stabilization?
    Does the Pentax VS20 have RAW support?
    Does the Pentax VS20 have Weather Sealing?
    Does the Pentax VS20 have built-in GPS?
    What is the Max ISO of Pentax VS20?
    What is the Sensor Size of Pentax VS20?
    is the Pentax VS20 a Full Frame (FF) camera?
    Does the Pentax VS20 have Touch Screen?
    Does the Pentax VS20 have built-in Wireless?
    What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Pentax VS20?
    What is the Weight of Pentax VS20?
    What are the Dimensions of Pentax VS20?
    Pentax Optio VS20 Detailed Specifications

    General
    Brand Pentax
    Model Pentax Optio VS20
    Announced 2012-01-25
    Body Type Compact
    Lens
    Manual Focus
    Lens Mount fixed lens
    Lens Focal Range 28-560 mm (20×)
    Max Aperture F3.1-4.8
    Macro Focus Range 3cm
    Screen
    Screen Type Fixed Type
    Screen Technology TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating
    Screen Size 3.00"
    Screen Resolution 460k dots
    Live View
    Touch Screen
    Viewfinder
    Viewfinder None
    Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Coverage n/a
    Viewfinder Magnification n/a
    Photography Features
    Min Shutter Speed 4s
    Max Mechanical Shutter Speed 1/2500s
    Max Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps
    Shutter Priority
    Aperture Priority
    Manual Exposure Mode
    Exposure Compensation n/a
    Custom White Balance
    Image Stabilization
    Built-in Flash
    Flash Range 2.80 m
    Max Flash Sync s
    Flash Modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
    External Flash
    AE Bracketing
    WB Bracketing
    Exposure Modes
    Multi-Segment
    Average
    Spot
    Partial
    AF-Area
    Center Weighted
    DxO Sensor Scores
    DxO Overall Score not tested
    DxO Color Depth not tested
    DxO Dynamic Range not tested
    DxO Low Light ISO not tested
    Report a correction

    Sensor
    Sensor Type CCD
    Sensor Size 1/2.3-inch
    Sensor Dimensions 6.08 x 4.56 mm
    Sensor Area 27.72mm2
    Sensor Resolution 16 megapixels
    Max Image Resolution 4608 x 3456
    Max Native ISO 6,400
    Min Native ISO 100
    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 3
    Number of Cross Focus Points Unknown
    Video Features
    Video Resolutions 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
    Max Video Resolution 1280 x 720
    Video Formats Motion JPEG
    Microphone Port
    Headphone Port
    Connectivity
    Wireless Connectivity Eye-Fi Connected
    HDMI
    USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
    Physical
    Environmental Sealing
    Water Proof
    Dust Proof
    Shock Proof
    Crush Proof
    Freeze Proof
    Weight 235g
    Physical Dimensions 111 x 61 x 38mm
    Battery Model D-LI122
    Other Features
    Self Timer Yes (2 or 10 sec)
    Timelapse Recording
    GPS None
    Storage Type SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
    Storage Slots 1


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