Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic GX9

In this write-up, we will be looking at the Olympus E-30 and Panasonic GX9, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-30 (12MP) and GX9 (20MP) but they come with the same exact sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

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The E-30 was launched 10 years prior to the GX9 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic GX9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving through a complete comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-30 scores versus the GX9 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-30 & Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Panasonic GX9 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-30 offers physical dimensions of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") with a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) while the Panasonic GX9 has measurements of 124mm x 72mm x 47mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.9") and a weight of 407 grams (0.90 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-30 and Panasonic GX9 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the E-30 versus the GX9.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and GX9 is 60 and 82 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to envision the contrast between sensor measurements purely by reading through specifications. The photograph below might give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-30 and GX9.

Plainly, the 2 cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same MP. You can count on the Panasonic GX9 to give you extra detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older E-30 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.