Olympus E-30 vs Pentax Q-S1

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus E-30 vs Pentax Q-S1, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the Q-S1 (12MP) is fairly similar but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and Q-S1 (1/1.7") use different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-30 was introduced 6 years earlier than the Q-S1 which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax Q-S1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a in-depth comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-30 grades vs the Q-S1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-30 & Pentax Q-S1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Pentax Q-S1 Gallery.

When you are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-30 features external dimensions of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") and a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) and the Pentax Q-S1 has measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 203 grams (0.45 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-30 vs Pentax Q-S1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the E-30 against the Q-S1.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-30 and Q-S1 is 60 and 92 respectively.

Generally, it is very tough to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions purely by going over specs. The pic here will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-30 and Q-S1.

All in all, both of these cameras posses the exact same MP but different sensor dimensions. The E-30 contains the larger sensor which will make getting shallow DOF simpler. The more aged E-30 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.