Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic ZS100

On this page, we are contrasting the Olympus E-30 versus Panasonic ZS100, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-30 (12MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the E-30 (Four Thirds) and ZS100 (1") offer different sensor sizing.

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The E-30 was released 7 years earlier than the ZS100 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-30 scores vs the ZS100 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-30 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery and Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera often, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-30 features exterior dimensions of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") and a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS100 has dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-30 versus Panasonic ZS100 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have during that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-30 against the ZS100.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and ZS100 is 60 and 87 respectively.

Generally, it can be difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizes just by seeing specifications. The image underneath should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-30 and ZS100.

To sum up, both of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-30 due to its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS100 will show greater detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-30 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.