Olympus E-30 vs Sony A200

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-30 and Sony A200, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the A200 (10MP) is fairly well matched but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and A200 (APS-C) posses different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-30 was brought out 9 months after the A200 which means that they are of a similar generation. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A200 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving into a detailed comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-30 matches up against the A200 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-30 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A200. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-30 Gallery and Sony A200 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-30 has exterior measurements of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") having a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) and the Sony A200 has sizing of 131mm x 99mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 572 grams (1.26 lbs).

See the Olympus E-30 and Sony A200 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing during that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the E-30 compared to the A200.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-30 and A200 is 60 and 66 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizes purely by looking at technical specs. The picture here should provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-30 and A200.

As you can tell, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-30 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh more challenging and the Olympus E-30 will give greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics more aggressively. The fresher E-30 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.