Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic ZS30

The following is a in depth review of the Olympus E-510 versus Panasonic ZS30, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and ZS30 (18MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-510 was released 6 years prior to the ZS30 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-510 grades vs the ZS30 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-510 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Panasonic ZS30 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-510 offers exterior measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS30 has specifications of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

See the Olympus E-510 versus Panasonic ZS30 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-510 and the ZS30.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and ZS30 is 69 and 92 respectively.

Usually, it can be hard to see the gap in sensor dimensions simply by checking out a spec sheet. The pic underneath may offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-510 and ZS30.

As you can see, both of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-510 because of its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Panasonic ZS30 will show extra detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.