SUMMARY
A detailed comparison between the Sigma 20-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC DN Contemporary and the Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm f/4-7.1 Macro O.I.S. highlights their differences for travel photography. Initially, the Lumix is sharper at 28mm, but the Sigma surpasses it significantly in sharpness from 50mm onwards, especially in the corners. The Lumix lens is notably lighter and smaller, and includes optical image stabilization, which greatly benefits handheld video shooting. Both lenses perform well optically, though the Lumix showed some ghosting and fringing at 200mm. The Sigma offers a slightly wider maximum aperture at the widest end, but the Lumix maintains a fractional edge for much of the zoom range before the Sigma's f/6.3 becomes superior to the Lumix's f/7.1.
TAKEAWAYS
Sigma 20-200mm offers superior sharpness at telephoto ranges compared to the Lumix 28-200mm.
Lumix 28-200mm is lighter, smaller, and features optical image stabilization beneficial for video.
Lumix 28-200mm demonstrates impressive close-focusing at its wide end.
Both lenses are suitable for travel, with the choice depending on user priorities like sharpness vs. portability and stabilization.