Olympus E-30 vs Pentax RZ18

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-30 and Pentax RZ18, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the E-30 (12MP) and RZ18 (16MP) and the E-30 (Four Thirds) and RZ18 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-30 was manufactured 3 years prior to the RZ18 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax RZ18 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-30 grades against the RZ18 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-30 & Pentax Optio RZ18. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Pentax RZ18 Gallery.

When you are going to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-30 provides physical dimensions of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") along with a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) while the Pentax RZ18 has sizing of 97mm x 61mm x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-30 and Pentax RZ18 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose during that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-30 compared to the RZ18.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-30 and RZ18 is 60 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it's tough to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by going through technical specs. The picture underneath might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-30 and RZ18.

As you have seen, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-30 due to its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Pentax RZ18 will produce greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-30 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.