Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic FH5

Lets look closer at the Olympus E-30 versus Panasonic FH5, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the E-30 (12MP) and FH5 (16MP) and the E-30 (Four Thirds) and FH5 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-30 was introduced 21 months earlier than the FH5 which makes them a generation away from each other. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a in depth comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the E-30 scores against the FH5 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-30 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Panasonic FH5 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera often, you will have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-30 provides outside measurements of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) and the Panasonic FH5 has proportions of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") along with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-30 versus Panasonic FH5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use during that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the E-30 against the FH5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-30 and FH5 is 60 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to envision the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by going over specs. The image underneath may provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-30 and FH5.

All in all, both cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-30 with its bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh simpler and the Panasonic FH5 will deliver more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The more aged E-30 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.