Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic FZ150

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-30 and Panasonic FZ150, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the FZ150 (12MP) is relatively similar but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and FZ150 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-30 was announced 4 years earlier than the FZ150 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ150 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving straight to a complete comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-30 scores vs the FZ150 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-30 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Panasonic FZ150 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-30 has got outer dimensions 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 FZ150 has proportions of 124mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.2" x 3.6") along with a weight of 528 grams (1.16 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-30 and Panasonic FZ150 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have at the time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-30 and the FZ150.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-30 and FZ150 is 60 and 67 respectively.

Normally, its hard to see the difference between sensor measurements purely by reading a spec sheet. The graphic below might give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-30 and FZ150.

As you can see, both the cameras provide the same megapixel count albeit not the same sensor measurements. The E-30 contains the bigger sensor which is going to make achieving shallow depth of field easier. The older E-30 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.