Specifications#
- Brand
- Panasonic
- Model
- Lumix DMC-FZ20
- Also known as
- DMC-FZ20
- Camera type
- Bridge camera
- Released
- 2004
- Sensor size
- 5.7 × 4.4 mm (1/2.5" sensor)
- Crop factor
- 6.00×
- Resolution
- 4.9 MP (2,560 × 1,920 px)
- Continuous shooting
- 3 fps
- Weight
- 520 g (18.3 oz)
- Sensor
- CCD
- Storage
- Secure Digital
- Viewfinder
- Electronic viewfinder
- AF points / area
- 1 point / 3 points / 9 points / Spot
- Metering
- 1/3 EV step, -2 to +2 EV
- Exposure modes
- Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual, Program Shift (P mode)
- Lens
- Fixed
- Drive
- 3 frame/s or 2 frame/s. 7 images @ standard OR 4 images @ fine OR unlimited @ 2 frame/s
Specifications merged from Wikipedia, Wikidata, Lensfun and openMVG. Spot an error? Tell us.
Sensor size compared#
Focal length equivalents & field of view#
Multiply any focal length by 6.00 to get the full-frame field of view. For fixed-lens cameras use the real focal length printed on the lens (e.g. “6.1–18.3 mm”), not the 35 mm equivalent.
| Lens on this camera | Full-frame equivalent | Horizontal | Vertical | Diagonal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 mm | 24 mm | 71.3° | 57.2° | 84.0° |
| 4.5 mm | 27 mm | 65.1° | 51.7° | 77.4° |
| 5 mm | 30 mm | 59.7° | 47.1° | 71.6° |
| 6 mm | 36 mm | 51.1° | 39.9° | 62.0° |
| 8 mm | 48 mm | 39.5° | 30.5° | 48.5° |
| 10 mm | 60 mm | 32.0° | 24.6° | 39.6° |
| 12 mm | 72 mm | 26.9° | 20.6° | 33.4° |
| 15 mm | 90 mm | 21.7° | 16.5° | 27.0° |
| 20 mm | 120 mm | 16.3° | 12.4° | 20.4° |
| 25 mm | 150 mm | 13.1° | 10.0° | 16.4° |
| 30 mm | 180 mm | 10.9° | 8.3° | 13.7° |
| 40 mm | 240 mm | 8.2° | 6.2° | 10.3° |
| 50 mm | 300 mm | 6.6° | 5.0° | 8.2° |
| 70 mm | 420 mm | 4.7° | 3.6° | 5.9° |
| 100 mm | 600 mm | 3.3° | 2.5° | 4.1° |
| 150 mm | 900 mm | 2.2° | 1.7° | 2.8° |
Depth of field table#
Total depth of field at each subject distance, using a circle of confusion of 5.0 µm (the 0.030 mm full-frame standard scaled by the crop factor).
| Focal | Aperture | 50.0 cm | 1.00 m | 2.00 m | 3.00 m | 5.00 m | 10.0 m | Hyperfocal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 mm | f/2 | 34.3 cm | 2.03 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 1.60 m |
| 4 mm | f/2.8 | 53.4 cm | 7.23 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 1.15 m |
| 4 mm | f/4 | 1.01 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 80.4 cm |
| 4 mm | f/8 | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 40.4 cm |
| 7 mm | f/2 | 10.2 cm | 42.2 cm | 1.95 m | 5.84 m | ∞ | ∞ | 4.91 m |
| 7 mm | f/2.8 | 14.4 cm | 61.7 cm | 3.37 m | 19.0 m | ∞ | ∞ | 3.51 m |
| 7 mm | f/4 | 21.0 cm | 96.9 cm | 9.60 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 2.46 m |
| 7 mm | f/8 | 48.0 cm | 4.72 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 1.23 m |
| 12 mm | f/2 | 3.4 cm | 13.8 cm | 56.3 cm | 1.30 m | 3.93 m | 26.7 m | 14.4 m |
| 12 mm | f/2.8 | 4.8 cm | 19.4 cm | 80.3 cm | 1.90 m | 6.34 m | 336 m | 10.3 m |
| 12 mm | f/4 | 6.8 cm | 28.0 cm | 1.20 m | 3.01 m | 13.3 m | ∞ | 7.21 m |
| 12 mm | f/8 | 13.8 cm | 59.3 cm | 3.18 m | 16.0 m | ∞ | ∞ | 3.61 m |
| 20 mm | f/2 | 1.2 cm | 4.9 cm | 19.8 cm | 44.9 cm | 1.26 m | 5.32 m | 40.0 m |
| 20 mm | f/2.8 | 1.7 cm | 6.9 cm | 27.8 cm | 63.2 cm | 1.80 m | 7.95 m | 28.6 m |
| 20 mm | f/4 | 2.4 cm | 9.8 cm | 40.0 cm | 91.4 cm | 2.65 m | 13.3 m | 20.0 m |
| 20 mm | f/8 | 4.8 cm | 19.8 cm | 82.4 cm | 1.96 m | 6.62 m | 4.1 km | 10.0 m |
Equivalent aperture#
Exposure is identical at the same f-number on any format; equivalence only describes depth of field and total light.
Diffraction & pixel pitch#
With 2.24 µm pixels, diffraction starts to soften pixel-level detail around f/3.3. For maximum sharpness keep landscapes between f/2.8 and f/3; stopping down further trades detail for depth of field.
| Aperture | Airy disk diameter | Spread over | At 100% view |
|---|---|---|---|
| f/2.8 | 3.8 µm | 1.7 px | sharp |
| f/4 | 5.4 µm | 2.4 px | slight softening |
| f/5.6 | 7.5 µm | 3.4 px | visibly soft |
| f/8 | 10.7 µm | 4.8 px | visibly soft |
| f/11 | 14.8 µm | 6.6 px | visibly soft |
| f/16 | 21.5 µm | 9.6 px | visibly soft |
| f/22 | 29.5 µm | 13.2 px | visibly soft |
Maximum print sizes#
At 4.9 MP the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 produces 2,560 × 1,920 pixel images. See the 5 megapixel guide or the print size calculator.
| Resolution | Typical use | Inches | Centimetres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 DPI | Photo-lab quality | 8.5 × 6.4 in | 22 × 16 cm |
| 240 DPI | Fine-art inkjet | 10.7 × 8.0 in | 27 × 20 cm |
| 200 DPI | Wall print | 12.8 × 9.6 in | 33 × 24 cm |
| 150 DPI | Poster, viewed from 1 m+ | 17.1 × 12.8 in | 43 × 33 cm |
Night-sky exposure limits#
Longest exposure before stars trail. The NPF rule accounts for pixel pitch and is stricter than the classic 500 rule — use it for pin-sharp stars on high-resolution sensors.
| Focal length | 500 rule | NPF f/1.8 | NPF f/2.8 | NPF f/4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 mm (24 mm eq.) | 20.8 s | 32.6 s | 41.3 s | 51.8 s |
| 5 mm (30 mm eq.) | 16.7 s | 26.1 s | 33.1 s | 41.5 s |
| 6 mm (36 mm eq.) | 13.9 s | 21.7 s | 27.5 s | 34.5 s |
| 7 mm (42 mm eq.) | 11.9 s | 18.6 s | 23.6 s | 29.6 s |
| 8 mm (48 mm eq.) | 10.4 s | 16.3 s | 20.7 s | 25.9 s |
Handheld shutter speed guide#
The reciprocal rule uses the equivalent focal length. High-resolution sensors may need one stop faster than this for pixel-sharp results.
| Focal length | No stabilisation (1/equiv. focal) | With 3-stop IS | With 5-stop IBIS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 mm | 1/25 s | 0.3 s | 1.3 s |
| 8 mm | 1/50 s | 1/6 s | 0.6 s |
| 17 mm | 1/100 s | 1/13 s | 0.3 s |
| 33 mm | 1/200 s | 1/25 s | 1/6 s |
Lens#
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 has a built-in, non-interchangeable lens. Use the real focal length of that lens with the tables above; its full-frame equivalent is that number × 6.00.
Similar cameras#
Other 1/2.5" cameras from around the same time.
Frequently asked questions#
What is the crop factor of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20?
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 has a crop factor of 6.00× relative to 35 mm full frame (diagonal 7.2 mm vs 43.3 mm).
What size is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 sensor?
5.7 × 4.4 mm (1/2.5"), an area of 25 mm² — 3% of full frame.
Is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 full frame?
No — its sensor is 1/2.5", which is 34.5× smaller in area than full frame.
How many megapixels does the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 have?
4.9 megapixels (2,560 × 1,920 pixels), enough for a 9 × 6 inch print at 300 DPI.
How long can I expose the night sky with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20?
With a 5 mm lens (30 mm equivalent) the 500 rule gives 17 s and the stricter NPF rule at f/2.8 gives 33 s.
Sources & licences#
- Wikipedia: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 — CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikidata Q2049109 — CC0
- Lensfun camera database — CC BY-SA 3.0
- openMVG sensor width database — MPL-2.0
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources