Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic FS42

On this page, we are matching up the Olympus E-30 and Panasonic FS42, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the FS42 (10MP) is very comparable but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and FS42 (1/2.5") have totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-30 was launched very close to the FS42 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a brief summation of how the E-30 matches up versus the FS42 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-30 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-30 offers outside measurements of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") with a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FS42 has sizing of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-30 and Panasonic FS42 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-30 versus the FS42.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-30 and FS42 is 60 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to see the contrast in sensor sizing simply by seeing technical specs. The photograph underneath might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-30 and FS42.

As you have seen, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-30 featuring a larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-30 will show more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a bit more aggressively.