Olympus E-30 vs Sony HX20V
60 Imaging
46 Features
54 Overall
49
90 Imaging
41 Features
50 Overall
44
Olympus E-30 vs Sony HX20V Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 695g - 142 x 108 x 75mm
- Launched March 2009
(Full Review)
- 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 25-500mm (F3.2-5.8) lens
- 254g - 107 x 62 x 35mm
- Announced July 2012
- Replaced the Sony HX10V
- Refreshed by Sony HX30V
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The following is a comprehensive overview of the Olympus E-30 versus Sony HX20V, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-30 (12MP) and HX20V (18MP) and the E-30 (Four Thirds) and HX20V (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe E-30 was released 4 years before the HX20V which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX20V being a Compact camera.
Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-30 grades vs the HX20V with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-30 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Sony HX20V Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-30 over the Sony HX20V
| E-30 | HX20V | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony HX20V over the Olympus E-30
| HX20V | E-30 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | July 2012 | March 2009 | Newer by 40 months | |
| Screen dimensions | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 922k | 230k | Sharper screen (+692k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-30 and Sony HX20V
| E-30 | HX20V | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Very accurate focusing | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Absent Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-30 vs Sony HX20V Physical Comparison
For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-30 offers outside measurements of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) and the Sony HX20V has sizing of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-30 versus Sony HX20V in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you use during that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-30 vs the HX20V.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and HX20V is 60 and 90 respectively.
Olympus E-30 vs Sony HX20V Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it is hard to picture the difference between sensor dimensions simply by reading specs. The image here may give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-30 and HX20V.
All in all, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-30 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony HX20V will deliver greater detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-30 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.
Olympus E-30 vs Sony HX20V Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-30 vs Sony HX20V Specifications
| Olympus E-30 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Olympus | Sony |
| Model | Olympus E-30 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V |
| Type | Advanced DSLR | Small Sensor Superzoom |
| Launched | 2009-03-24 | 2012-07-20 |
| Physical type | Mid-size SLR | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | TruePic III+ | BIONZ |
| Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 18 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4896 x 3672 |
| Max native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Number of focus points | 11 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | - | 25-500mm (20.0x) |
| Maximum aperture | - | f/3.2-5.8 |
| Macro focus distance | - | 1cm |
| Total lenses | 45 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
| Screen size | 2.7 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 230k dots | 922k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch screen | ||
| Screen tech | HyperCrystal II LCD | XtraFine TruBlack TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | None |
| Viewfinder coverage | 98 percent | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.56x | - |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/1600 secs |
| Continuous shutter rate | 5.0 frames per sec | 10.0 frames per sec |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual mode | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 13.00 m | 7.10 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, Manual, Fill, Red-eye reduction, Slow sync with red-eye reduction, Slow sync, Slow sync 2nd curtain, Off | Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash synchronize | 1/250 secs | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | - | MPEG-4, AVCHD |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | BuiltIn |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 695g (1.53 pounds) | 254g (0.56 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 142 x 108 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") | 107 x 62 x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | 55 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | 21.3 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 10.4 | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | 530 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 750 shots | 320 shots |
| Battery style | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | BLM-1 | NP-BG1 |
| Self timer | Yes (12 or 2 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II) / xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | One | One |
| Cost at release | $1,299 | $397 |