Olympus E-30 vs Olympus E-PL2

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-30 vs Olympus E-PL2, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both offered by Olympus. The resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the E-PL2 (12MP) is fairly well matched and both cameras offer the identical sensor size (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-30 was introduced 22 months prior to the E-PL2 making them a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-30 scores against the E-PL2 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-30 & Olympus PEN E-PL2. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Olympus E-PL2 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to travel with your camera often, you will want to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-30 enjoys physical dimensions of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") along with a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) while the Olympus E-PL2 has proportions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-30 vs Olympus E-PL2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-30 vs the E-PL2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and E-PL2 is 60 and 85 respectively.

Generally, it is difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor dimensions just by looking at specs. The image underneath may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-30 and E-PL2.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras feature the identical sensor size and the same exact megapixels therefore you can expect similar quality of images but you will want to consider the launch date of the products into consideration. The more aged E-30 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.