Olympus E-30 vs Pentax P80

Here is a complete analysis of the Olympus E-30 versus Pentax P80, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the P80 (12MP) is fairly well matched but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and P80 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

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The E-30 was revealed 4 months earlier than the P80 and they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax P80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-30 grades against the P80 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-30 & Pentax Optio P80. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Pentax P80 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera often, you're going to have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-30 features external dimensions of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") having a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) whilst the Pentax P80 has dimensions of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") and a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-30 versus Pentax P80 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the E-30 and the P80.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and P80 is 60 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to picture the gap between sensor sizing just by reading through a spec sheet. The visual here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-30 and P80.

As you can see, each of the cameras have the same MP but different sensor sizing. The E-30 has the larger sensor which should make getting shallower DOF easier.