Olympus E-5 vs Panasonic ZS30

Here is a thorough analysis of the Olympus E-5 versus Panasonic ZS30, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and ZS30 (18MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was manufactured 23 months prior to the ZS30 making them a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a concise summation of how the E-5 matches up vs the ZS30 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Panasonic ZS30 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-5 enjoys external measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS30 has dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-5 versus Panasonic ZS30 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have during that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-5 and the ZS30.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-5 and ZS30 is 58 and 92 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing merely by checking out specs. The graphic underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-5 and ZS30.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-5 due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic ZS30 will produce extra detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older E-5 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.