Olympus E-30 vs Sony NEX-5N

The following is a thorough review of the Olympus E-30 and Sony NEX-5N, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the E-30 (12MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the E-30 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5N (APS-C) offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-30 was released 3 years before the NEX-5N which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summation of how the E-30 matches up vs the NEX-5N in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-30 and Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery and Sony NEX-5N Gallery.

In case you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you should think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-30 has exterior 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 Sony NEX-5N has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-30 and Sony NEX-5N in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing during that time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-30 versus the NEX-5N.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-30 and NEX-5N is 60 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions simply by reading technical specs. The picture here may give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-30 and NEX-5N.

As you can tell, the two cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-30 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh harder and the Sony NEX-5N will offer extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The more aged E-30 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.