Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic LX5

Here, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic LX5, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the LX5 (10MP) is pretty comparable but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and LX5 (1/1.63") provide different sensor sizing.

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The E-30 was unveiled 3 years prior to the LX5 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic LX5 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-30 grades versus the LX5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-30 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-30 Gallery and Panasonic LX5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-30 provides 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) and the Panasonic LX5 has sizing of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic LX5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-30 compared to the LX5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and LX5 is 60 and 88 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to picture the contrast in sensor dimensions just by seeing specs. The image below might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-30 and LX5.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-30 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-30 will provide extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged E-30 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.