Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic FP5

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic FP5, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the FP5 (14MP) is very similar but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and FP5 (1/2.3") boast different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-30 was manufactured 21 months before the FP5 making them a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FP5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving right into a full comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-30 grades versus the FP5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-30 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP5. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-30 Gallery and Panasonic FP5 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-30 has outside measurements of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") along with a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) and the Panasonic FP5 has dimensions of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic FP5 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-30 versus the FP5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-30 and FP5 is 60 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, its tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizing just by reading technical specs. The photograph underneath will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-30 and FP5.

As you have seen, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-30 because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FP5 will deliver more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The older E-30 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.