Olympus E-30 vs Pentax MX-1

Below is a in depth analysis of the Olympus E-30 vs Pentax MX-1, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the MX-1 (12MP) is relatively comparable but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and MX-1 (1/1.7") have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-30 was announced 5 years before the MX-1 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-30 matches up versus the MX-1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-30 & Pentax MX-1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-30 provides exterior measurements of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) while the Pentax MX-1 has specifications of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") and a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-30 vs Pentax MX-1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the E-30 and the MX-1.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-30 and MX-1 is 60 and 84 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to see the gap in sensor measurements merely by seeing specifications. The visual below will help give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-30 and MX-1.

Plainly, both the cameras have the same megapixels albeit not the same sensor measurements. The E-30 comes with the bigger sensor which is going to make getting shallower depth of field less difficult. The older E-30 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.