Olympus E-30 vs Sony W290

Below is a comprehensive analysis of the Olympus E-30 versus Sony W290, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the W290 (12MP) is pretty comparable but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and W290 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

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The E-30 was introduced 2 months later than the W290 which means that they are both of a similar age. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony W290 being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a full comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-30 matches up vs the W290 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-30 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Sony W290 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera, you should factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-30 provides external measurements of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") with a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) and the Sony W290 has measurements of 98mm x 57mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-30 versus Sony W290 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are using at that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-30 compared to the W290.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-30 and W290 is 60 and 94 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to visualize the difference in sensor measurements only by going through a spec sheet. The graphic here may give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-30 and W290.

Clearly, both of the cameras feature the identical megapixel count albeit different sensor measurements. The E-30 features the bigger sensor which is going to make getting shallow DOF easier.