Nikon S30 vs Pentax E85

Below is a detailed assessment of the Nikon S30 vs Pentax E85, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by competitors Nikon and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the S30 (10MP) and the E85 (12MP) is relatively well matched but the S30 (1/3") and E85 (1/2.3") posses different sensor dimensions.

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The S30 was announced 2 years later than the E85 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before going right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief view of how the S30 grades against the E85 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Coolpix S30 & Pentax Optio E85. The whole galleries are viewable at Nikon S30 Gallery & Pentax E85 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera, you have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Nikon S30 has got outside dimensions of 102mm x 65mm x 40mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.6") along with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) and the Pentax E85 has measurements of 93mm x 58mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") having a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

Take a look at the Nikon S30 vs Pentax E85 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the S30 compared to the E85.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S30 and E85 is 90 and 95 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reading through specifications. The graphic underneath should provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the S30 and E85.

To sum up, the two cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The S30 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Pentax E85 will resolve greater detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs more aggressively. The more recent S30 provides an advantage in sensor tech.