Olympus E-30 vs Pentax Q10

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-30 vs Pentax Q10, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the Q10 (12MP) is pretty similar but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and Q10 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-30 was brought out 4 years prior to the Q10 and that is quite a big gap as far as 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 Q10 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a in depth comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-30 matches up against the Q10 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-30 and Pentax Q10. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery and Pentax Q10 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera often, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-30 comes with physical measurements 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 Q10 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-30 vs Pentax Q10 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are employing at that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the E-30 compared to the Q10.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-30 and Q10 is 60 and 92 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to see the gap between sensor measurements only by going over specs. The photograph below will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-30 and Q10.

All in all, the 2 cameras have the same megapixels albeit not the same sensor measurements. The E-30 provides the bigger sensor which should make achieving shallow DOF easier. The older E-30 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.