Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic FH25

In this article, we are analyzing the Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic FH25, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-30 (12MP) and FH25 (16MP) and the E-30 (Four Thirds) and FH25 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-30 was manufactured 21 months earlier than the FH25 making the cameras a generation away from each other. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FH25 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-30 scores against the FH25 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-30 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH25. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Panasonic FH25 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-30 offers external measurements of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") and a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) while the Panasonic FH25 has specifications of 99mm x 57mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic FH25 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the E-30 vs the FH25.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and FH25 is 60 and 94 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizes merely by seeing specs. The picture here might provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-30 and FH25.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-30 because of its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FH25 will produce extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images far more aggressively. The more aged E-30 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.