Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic ZS80

Below, we will be comparing the Olympus E-30 and Panasonic ZS80, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the E-30 (12MP) and ZS80 (20MP) and the E-30 (Four Thirds) and ZS80 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-30 was launched 10 years prior to the ZS80 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-30 scores vs the ZS80 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-30 & Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Panasonic ZS80 Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-30 enjoys outer measurements 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 ZS80 has measurements of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") having a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-30 and Panasonic ZS80 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the E-30 and the ZS80.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-30 and ZS80 is 60 and 86 respectively.

Often, its hard to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions merely by researching specs. The image underneath might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-30 and ZS80.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-30 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS80 will provide you with greater detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-30 will be behind in sensor tech.