Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic TS5

Here, we are looking at the Olympus E-30 versus Panasonic TS5, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Waterproof by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the E-30 (12MP) and TS5 (16MP) and the E-30 (Four Thirds) and TS5 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizes.

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The E-30 was unveiled 5 years prior to the TS5 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic TS5 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a thorough comparison, here is a short view of how the E-30 matches up vs the TS5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-30 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Panasonic TS5 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera often, you're going to have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-30 provides outside measurements of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") and a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) whilst the Panasonic TS5 has specifications of 110mm x 67mm x 29mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") along with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-30 versus Panasonic TS5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use during that time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-30 versus the TS5.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and TS5 is 60 and 91 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to picture the gap in sensor measurements only by looking through specs. The graphic here should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-30 and TS5.

All in all, the two cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-30 using its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic TS5 will render extra detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics way more aggressively. The older E-30 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.