Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic S1

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic S1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the S1 (12MP) is relatively well matched but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-30 was brought out 21 months prior to the S1 which makes them a generation apart from each other. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic S1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-30 grades vs the S1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-30 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery and Panasonic S1 Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera often, you will need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-30 provides external measurements of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") having a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) and the Panasonic S1 has sizing of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic S1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at that moment. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-30 against the S1.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and S1 is 60 and 96 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to visualise the difference between sensor measurements just by reading through a spec sheet. The visual underneath will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-30 and S1.

Clearly, both of the cameras feature the identical MP albeit not the same sensor measurements. The E-30 offers the bigger sensor which is going to make obtaining shallow DOF less difficult. The older E-30 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.