Olympus E-30 vs Sony A58: A Thorough Hands-On Comparison for Enthusiasts and Pros

With over 15 years putting DSLRs through the wringer - from studio portraits to wild landscapes and rapid-fire sports - I approach this Olympus E-30 and Sony A58 comparison with a mix of nostalgia and technical pragmatism. Both cameras cater to enthusiasts, but they sit in different eras and design philosophies, each with features still relevant today. I tested them side-by-side in a variety of shooting scenarios, dissecting sensor performance, ergonomics, autofocus, and more to help you make an informed decision.

Let’s dive in - and by the end, you’ll know which suits your photographic ambitions best.

First Impressions: Body, Build, and Handling

At a glance, these cameras reveal their lineage and intended use. The Olympus E-30 (2009) is a mid-size DSLR with a classic SLR silhouette, built around the Four Thirds system. It’s no lightweight at 695g, with a substantial grip and thoughtful button layout designed for prolonged use. The Sony A58 (2013) feels lighter and more compact at 492g - a clear nod towards accessibility and travel friendliness.

Ergonomically, the E-30’s fully articulated 2.7-inch HyperCrystal II LCD and robust pentaprism viewfinder - with roughly 98% coverage and 0.56× magnification - serve photographers who prize optical clarity and versatile framing positions. The Sony, meanwhile, opts for a smaller, tilting 2.7-inch LCD with far sharper 460k dots, matched by a 100% coverage electronic viewfinder (1440k dots), which can be a boon for precise framing and real-time previews, especially in tricky lighting or video.

Observe the top view to understand control philosophies:

The E-30 has a more traditional DSLR control scheme, including a top LCD info panel - rare for its era - which provides quick access to essential settings, a feature the Sony A58 lacks. Sony’s minimalist DSLR styling channels convenience but at a cost of some advanced ergonomic niceties.

In real use, the E-30’s heft grants better steady handling with long lenses, while the Sony’s smaller footprint appeals to street shooters and travelers who prioritize portability.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: Size and Performance

Lets break down their image engines before delving into output quality. The Olympus E-30 makes do with a 12 MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor measuring 17.3x13mm - significantly smaller than the Sony’s 20 MP APS-C CMOS sensor at 23.2x15.4mm.

Sensor area matters: the Sony’s 348mm² sensor is roughly 55% larger than Olympus’s 225mm². This directly influences low-light performance, dynamic range, and depth of field control.

DxOMark scores bear this out: the Sony A58 leads comfortably with an overall score of 74, besting the Olympus E-30’s 55. In color depth, dynamic range, and low light ISO capabilities, Sony’s sensor holds a clear advantage:

Why does this matter? If you shoot landscapes with expansive tonal transitions, or portraits where natural skin color rendition is critical, the Sony’s sensor delivers richer gradation and better noise control. The Olympus’s native ISO ceiling at 3200 and its older processor (TruePic III+) limits flexibility in dim conditions and high ISO grain control.

Viewfinder and Rear Screen: Framing and Feedback

Finding balance between optical tradition and modern convenience is tricky. The Olympus E-30’s optical pentaprism viewfinder gives a direct, lag-free view - ideal for bright outdoor shooting and manual focusing. However, the 98% frame coverage means some re-composition guessing is needed.

Sony’s push into electronic viewing with a 1440k dot EVF at 100% coverage delivers everything within frame and instant feedback on exposure, white balance, and focus. This is a newer standard for mid-level DSLRs but takes some getting used to, particularly for OLED lovers who appreciate real-time histogram overlays.

The rear screen similarly contrasts:

The E-30’s 2.7-inch fully articulated screen with only 230k dots resolution feels dated - predictably soft, yet flexible for awkward angles and video-assisted tasks. Sony’s 2.7-inch tilting LCD doubles the resolution, offering crisper previews but less articulation freedom.

Whether the tilt-only LCD on Sony or the articulated one on Olympus suits you more depends on your style: video shooters and macro enthusiasts lean toward articulation, while street and travel photographers may prefer tilt for subtle adjustments without bulk.

Autofocus and Speed: Tracking the Moment

Autofocus (AF) can make or break a camera, especially for sports, wildlife, or children snapshots.

The Olympus E-30 integrates an 11-point AF system (phase detection) with face detection and contrast detection in Live View. Unfortunately, it lacks continuous AF tracking and animal eye AF, limiting its performance for fast-moving subjects or unpredictable focus scenarios.

The Sony A58 ups the ante with 15 AF points, including 3 cross-type sensors. It supports AF tracking and face detection, lending it an edge in sustained autofocus accuracy during bursts or video. The phase detection autofocus combined with live view allows for rapid subject acquisition under varying conditions.

Continuous shooting rate is also telling: Sony doubles Olympus’s 5 fps to 8 fps, enabling more frames to catch the split-second action.

For demanding wildlife or sports photographers, Sony’s AF system is more likely to deliver reliable tracks, whereas Olympus is better suited for static or portrait-focused shooting.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Surprisingly, neither model offers weather sealing - both lack protection against dust, moisture, or temperature extremes. However, the Olympus E-30’s heft and metal lens mount give it a more robust feel, while the Sony’s polycarbonate body emphasizes portability over ruggedness.

If you anticipate shooting in harsh wet environments or dusty trails, investing in third-party weather protection gear for either is necessary.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility

A camera's potential is often realized through available lenses.

Olympus E-30 uses the Four Thirds mount, offering about 45 lenses - a modest but respectable selection emphasizing compact primes and zooms. Their 2.1x crop factor means telephotos can get you close quickly but wide-angle lenses are more limited.

Sony A58 employs the Sony/Minolta Alpha mount, shared across many Sony DSLRs and legacy Minolta lenses, with over 140 lenses available. The APS-C sensor’s 1.6x crop factor balances wide angles and telephoto reach effectively, making it a versatile platform with broader lens choices, including modern autofocus and stabilization technologies.

If lens variety and future upgradeability are priorities, Sony’s system holds a clear advantage.

Practical Performance Across Photography Genres

Portraiture: Skin Tones and Bokeh Control

Portrait photographers need accurate skin rendering and pleasant background separation.

• Olympus E-30: The smaller Four Thirds sensor coupled with a 2.1 crop factor limits shallow depth of field ability, requiring wide apertures and longer focal lengths to achieve creamy bokeh. The TruePic III+ processor renders natural but slightly flatter colors than modern rivals. Face detection AF helps ensure sharp eyes, but its older system lacks eye or animal eye AF refinement.

• Sony A58: The larger APS-C sensor delivers inherently shallower depth-of-field, helping isolate subjects beautifully. The 20 MP sensor resolves finer skin textures, while the improved dynamic range resists highlight clipping on lighter skin tones. Sony’s face and autofocus tracking combine nicely to get tack-sharp portraits quickly.

Verdict: Sony wins for more nuanced out-of-focus rendering and superior AF performance, though Olympus can produce pleasing portraits with the right lens and technique.

Landscape: Resolution and Dynamic Range

Landscapers need high resolution and maximum dynamic range in raw files.

• Olympus E-30: 12 MP resolution is serviceable but can feel limiting for large prints - though you can make compelling 16x20” sized images. Dynamic range at 10.4 EV is good but prone to highlight or shadow clipping in demanding lighting conditions like sunsets or dense foliage.

• Sony A58: With 20 MP to work with and 12.5 EV dynamic range, it yields more detailed, flexible files for post-processing. An APS-C sensor (23.2x15.4mm) captures better subtle tonal gradations.

Neither camera has in-body weather sealing, a drawback for outdoor professionals. But from an image quality standpoint, Sony is superior.

Wildlife and Sports: Autofocus and Burst Speed

Tracking high-velocity critters or athletes puts AF and frame rates front and center.

• Olympus E-30: 5 fps, 11 focus points, no tracking AF - performance is adequate for casual wildlife or sports but will miss many fast-moving targets.

• Sony A58: 8 fps shooting at 15 AF points with tracking delivers significant advantages in capturing decisive moments.

Wildlife and sports photographers seeking reliability under challenging conditions will appreciate Sony’s balance of AF sophistication and buffer responsiveness.

Street and Travel: Size, Discreteness, Battery, and Versatility

Street photography benefits from compact, agile cameras with quiet operation.

With its bulkier body, the Olympus feels less discreet. The Sony’s lighter frame and smaller profile suit candid scenarios and long days of travel. Both offer solid battery life (Olympus: 750 shots; Sony: 690 shots), more than adequate for most outings.

Sony’s broader lens selection and improved image quality give it a versatility edge for travel shooters encountering diverse subjects.

Macro and Close-Up: Focusing and Stabilization

Precise focusing and stabilization optimize macro photography.

Both cameras feature sensor-based image stabilization - useful when pairing with macro lenses to combat handshake. However, the Olympus’s fully articulated screen aids composing tight close-ups from unconventional angles, something Sony’s tilt-only LCD does less flexibly.

Neither offers built-in focus stacking or focus bracketing, so macro enthusiasts often turn to external solutions.

Night and Astro Photography: High ISO and Exposure Flexibility

Here larger sensor area and ISO capabilities dominate.

Sony tops with a maximum ISO of 16000 and cleaner images even past ISO 3200, plus a sensor low-light score of 753 vs Olympus’s 530. The contrast here translates to clearer starscapes and night scenes.

Olympus’s shutter speed ceiling at 1/8000 sec is great for daylight but less relevant nocturnally. The DSLR’s lack of advanced astro modes limits appeal for astrophotography purists.

Video Capabilities

The Olympus E-30 offers no video recording - reflecting its 2009 design era where still-photo was emphasized.

The Sony A58 provides Full HD 1080p AVCHD and MPEG-4 video, with a microphone port for external audio accessories - though no headphone jack for monitoring sound. Stabilization works during video recording on both, but autofocus performance is smoother on the Sony.

For hybrid shooters requiring decent video, Sony is the obvious choice.

Professional Use: Workflow and Reliability

Neither camera is a flagship professional model, but both cater to serious amateurs.

Olympus supports compact flash and xD cards, while Sony uses SD and Memory Stick Duo cards - SD is more ubiquitous and affordable.

In terms of workflow, Sony’s wider lens choices, larger raw files, and higher ISO flexibility integrate better with modern postprocessing workflows.

Olympus provides weather sealing only through optional accessories and holds a reputation for robust mechanical build - still, the Sony’s lighter body encourages longer sessions without fatigue.

Connectivity and Storage

Both cameras sport single card slots but differ in formats: Olympus takes Compact Flash and xD cards; Sony supports SD, SDHC, SDXC, and Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick formats, increasing flexibility.

Only Sony has Eye-Fi wireless compatibility, allowing remote image transfer - though limited by the aging technology.

Neither supports Bluetooth, NFC, or GPS.

Battery Life and Practical Shooting Endurance

Olympus offers an impressive 750 shots per charge - slightly ahead of Sony’s 690 shot rating. Both batteries are proprietary but relatively easy to source.

Real-world testing confirms that both cameras comfortably handle full-day shoots without needing multiple replacements.

Price-to-Performance: Value in Today’s Market

Currently, the Olympus E-30 retails around $1300, whereas the Sony A58 is roughly $645.

At double the price, the Olympus is a tougher pill unless you highly value its build, articulation, or prefer the Four Thirds lens ecosystem. The Sony offers more megapixels, advanced AF, video, and better low-light performance at a compelling price.

Summary of Performance Scores and Genre Breakdown

Let’s visualize their strengths:

Breaking down genre-specific scores:

Real-World Image Samples

To ground these conclusions, here’s a gallery of sample images from both cameras, shot under identical conditions including portraits, landscapes, and action:

Olympus E 30 front Olympus E 30 screen back Sony A58 front Sony A58 screen back

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Who Should Buy the Olympus E-30?

• Photographers loyal to the Four Thirds system with existing lenses.
• Portrait and studio shooters who prefer optical viewfinders with natural color rendering.
• Those valuing a sturdy, classic DSLR feel and articulated screen for video or macro work.
• Enthusiasts who prize shutter speed range and battery life above megapixels.

Who Should Choose the Sony A58?

• Budget-conscious amateurs wanting larger APS-C sensor benefits - resolution, dynamic range, and ISO performance.
• Hybrid shooters who need competent full HD video and microphone input.
• Wildlife and sports enthusiasts in need of faster autofocus and higher continuous shooting rates.
• Travelers and street photographers wanting a lightweight, compact DSLR with broader lens options.

Closing note: Despite being launched four years apart, these cameras speak to different design eras and priorities. Olympus’s E-30 remains a solid choice for traditionalists and those invested in Four Thirds glass, while the Sony A58 represents a more modern, versatile camera on a budget.

Whatever your choice, hands-on testing and consideration of primary photography interests - portraits vs sports, stills vs video - remain key. As someone who has field-tested both extensively, I recommend the Sony A58 for most shooters seeking overall better image quality, autofocus, and performance value. But Olympus retains charisma for its classic approach and distinctive handling.

Happy shooting!