Olympus E-30 vs Pentax WG-1

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-30 vs Pentax WG-1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Waterproof by brands Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the WG-1 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and WG-1 (1/2.3") use different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-30 was brought out 22 months prior to the WG-1 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax WG-1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a more detailed comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-30 matches up against the WG-1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-30 and Pentax Optio WG-1. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery and Pentax WG-1 Gallery.

If you're planning to lug around your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-30 provides exterior 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) whilst the Pentax WG-1 has proportions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-30 vs Pentax WG-1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the E-30 compared to the WG-1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and WG-1 is 60 and 93 respectively.

Usually, it is tough to imagine the gap between sensor measurements just by reading through technical specs. The graphic here will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-30 and WG-1.

As you have seen, both of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-30 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Pentax WG-1 will resolve extra detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs much more aggressively. The older E-30 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.