Olympus FE-4000 vs Olympus SZ-30MR

In this article, we will be matching up the Olympus FE-4000 and Olympus SZ-30MR, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are offered by Olympus. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the FE-4000 (12MP) and SZ-30MR (16MP) but they possess the same exact sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The FE-4000 was manufactured 19 months earlier than the SZ-30MR which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before going straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick overview of how the FE-4000 matches up versus the SZ-30MR with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus FE-4000 & Olympus SZ-30MR. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus FE-4000 Gallery & Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus FE-4000 enjoys outside measurements of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-30MR has measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus FE-4000 and Olympus SZ-30MR in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using during that time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the FE-4000 vs the SZ-30MR.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FE-4000 and SZ-30MR is 95 and 89 respectively.

Typically, it can be difficult to picture the gap in sensor measurements merely by going through a spec sheet. The photograph below should offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-4000 and SZ-30MR.

Clearly, both cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit different resolution. You can count on the Olympus SZ-30MR to show more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older FE-4000 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.