Olympus E-30 vs Pentax MX-1
60 Imaging
46 Features
54 Overall
49
84 Imaging
37 Features
60 Overall
46
Olympus E-30 vs Pentax MX-1 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 695g - 142 x 108 x 75mm
- Announced March 2009
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-112mm (F1.8-2.5) lens
- 391g - 122 x 61 x 51mm
- Launched July 2013
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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.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe 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.
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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.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-30 over the Pentax MX-1
| E-30 | MX-1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Pentax MX-1 over the Olympus E-30
| MX-1 | E-30 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | July 2013 | March 2009 | More recent by 52 months | |
| Screen dimensions | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 920k | 230k | Clearer screen (+690k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-30 and Pentax MX-1
| E-30 | MX-1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | Dial accurate focus | |||
| Touch screen | Lacking Touch screen |
Olympus E-30 vs Pentax MX-1 Physical Comparison
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.
Olympus E-30 vs Pentax MX-1 Sensor Comparison
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.
Olympus E-30 vs Pentax MX-1 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-30 vs Pentax MX-1 Specifications
| Olympus E-30 | Pentax MX-1 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model | Olympus E-30 | Pentax MX-1 |
| Category | Advanced DSLR | Small Sensor Compact |
| Announced | 2009-03-24 | 2013-07-01 |
| Physical type | Mid-size SLR | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | TruePic III+ | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/1.7" |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 7.44 x 5.58mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 41.5mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Highest native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW pictures | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Number of focus points | 11 | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | - | 28-112mm (4.0x) |
| Max aperture | - | f/1.8-2.5 |
| Macro focus distance | - | 1cm |
| Available lenses | 45 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 4.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
| Screen sizing | 2.7 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 230 thousand dots | 920 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch display | ||
| Screen technology | HyperCrystal II LCD | TFT LCD with AR coating |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | None |
| Viewfinder coverage | 98% | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.56x | - |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
| Continuous shutter rate | 5.0 frames per second | 1.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | 13.00 m | 12.00 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, Manual, Fill, Red-eye reduction, Slow sync with red-eye reduction, Slow sync, Slow sync 2nd curtain, Off | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Speed sync, Trailing Curtain sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash synchronize | 1/250 secs | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | - | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Mic support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 695g (1.53 pounds) | 391g (0.86 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 142 x 108 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") | 122 x 61 x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | 55 | 49 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 21.3 | 20.4 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 10.4 | 11.3 |
| DXO Low light score | 530 | 208 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 750 shots | 290 shots |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | BLM-1 | D-Li-106 |
| Self timer | Yes (12 or 2 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II) / xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Card slots | 1 | 1 |
| Price at release | $1,299 | $400 |