Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic GF7

Below is a thorough comparison of the Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic GF7, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the resolutions of the E-30 (12MP) and GF7 (16MP) but both cameras have the same sensor size (Four Thirds).

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The E-30 was revealed 6 years earlier than the GF7 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic GF7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-30 scores vs the GF7 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-30 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-30 Gallery and Panasonic GF7 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-30 has got 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) and the Panasonic GF7 has specifications of 107mm x 65mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.3") having a weight of 266 grams (0.59 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic GF7 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing at the time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-30 and the GF7.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and GF7 is 60 and 90 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to visualise the difference between sensor measurements only by reading a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-30 and GF7.

As you can see, each of these cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same megapixels. You should expect the Panasonic GF7 to deliver greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots more aggressively. The older E-30 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.