Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic SZ1

Its time to examine more in depth at the Olympus E-30 versus Panasonic SZ1, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the E-30 (12MP) and SZ1 (16MP) and the E-30 (Four Thirds) and SZ1 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

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The E-30 was manufactured 3 years prior to the SZ1 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic SZ1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a detailed comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-30 grades versus the SZ1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-30 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Panasonic SZ1 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera, you will want to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-30 provides exterior measurements of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") having a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ1 has proportions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 131 grams (0.29 lbs).

See the Olympus E-30 versus Panasonic SZ1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-30 vs the SZ1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and SZ1 is 60 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to picture the gap in sensor sizing just by looking through specifications. The visual underneath may give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-30 and SZ1.

To sum up, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-30 due to its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic SZ1 will provide you with greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs far more aggressively. The older E-30 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.