Olympus FE-45 vs Sony QX30

In this article, we are evaluating the Olympus FE-45 versus Sony QX30, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Lens-style by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the FE-45 (10MP) and QX30 (20MP) but they enjoy the same exact sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The FE-45 was announced 6 years earlier than the QX30 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus FE-45 being a Compact camera and the Sony QX30 being a Lens-style camera.

Before delving straight into a complete comparison, below is a short introduction of how the FE-45 grades against the QX30 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus FE-45 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX30. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus FE-45 Gallery & Sony QX30 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera often, you'll need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus FE-45 provides outside measurements of 94mm x 62mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") with a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs) while the Sony QX30 has sizing of 68mm x 65mm x 58mm (2.7" x 2.6" x 2.3") along with a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs).

Check the Olympus FE-45 versus Sony QX30 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the FE-45 compared to the QX30.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the FE-45 and QX30 is 95 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing merely by looking through a spec sheet. The visual below may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the FE-45 and QX30.

Clearly, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Sony QX30 to result in extra detail with its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos a little more aggressively. The older FE-45 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.