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Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony HX30V

Portability
68
Imaging
59
Features
93
Overall
72
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V front
Portability
90
Imaging
42
Features
50
Overall
45

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony HX30V Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 574g - 134 x 91 x 67mm
  • Released September 2016
  • Previous Model is Olympus E-M1
  • Renewed by Olympus E-M1 III
Sony HX30V
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-500mm (F3.2-5.8) lens
  • 254g - 107 x 62 x 35mm
  • Revealed February 2012
  • Succeeded the Sony HX20V
  • Successor is Sony HX50V
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony HX30V Overview

In this article, we are evaluating the Olympus E-M1 II versus Sony HX30V, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M1 II (20MP) and the HX30V (18MP) is very close but the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and HX30V (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M1 II was unveiled 4 years later than the HX30V and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX30V being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a full comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the E-M1 II scores vs the HX30V in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Sony HX30V

 E-M1 II HX30V 
RevealedSeptember 2016February 2012More recent by 56 months
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display resolution1037k922kClearer display (+115k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Sony HX30V over the Olympus E-M1 II

 HX30V E-M1 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony HX30V

 E-M1 II HX30V 
Manually focus More exact focus
Display sizing3"3"Equivalent display sizing

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony HX30V Physical Comparison

If you're aiming to lug around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 II has external measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") having a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) whilst the Sony HX30V has specifications of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") and a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-M1 II versus Sony HX30V in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M1 II compared to the HX30V.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony HX30V size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 II and HX30V is 68 and 90 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony HX30V top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony HX30V Sensor Comparison

Usually, it is very hard to picture the gap in sensor measurements purely by researching a spec sheet. The visual here should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 II and HX30V.

As you can see, the two cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 II with its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 II will render extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images a little more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 II provides an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony HX30V sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony HX30V Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony HX30V Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Portrait photography factors
Sony HX30V Portrait photography factors
75
has manual focus
decent MP (20MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
features face detect autofocus
saves RAW files
45
has manual focus
decent sensor resolution (18MP)
has face detect focusing
cannot use external flash
sensor is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Street photography with Sony HX30V
78
screen articulates fully
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
offers touch to focus
environment proofing
lighter than competition in class (574 grams)
good high ISO (25,600)
61
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competitors in class (254 grams)
screen is fixed
sensor is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Sports photography information
Sony HX30V Sports photography information
74
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
silent shooting (1/32,000 seconds)
max frames per second high (60.0 fps)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent MP (20MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
features tracking focus
environment proofing
sensor has phase detect autofocus
low battery (350 CIPA)
49
incredible zoom range (25-500mm 20.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (18 megapixels)
has tracking focus
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor is small (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Travel photography factors
Sony HX30V Travel photography factors
72
lighter than competition in class (574g)
environment proofing
offers touch to focus
decent MP (20 megapixels)
screen is selfie friendly
low battery (350 shots)
69
lighter than competitors in class (254 grams)
decent sensor resolution (18MP)
built-in flash
reasonably wide (25mm)
very long zoom (500mm)
does not have Timelapse recording
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
slow maximum aperture (f3.2)
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Landscape photography factors
Sony HX30V Landscape photography factors
76
has manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent MP (20MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
doesnt have anti aliasing filter
good high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW files
environment proofing
has dual storage slots
low battery (350 shots)
50
has manual focus
reasonably wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (18 megapixels)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.2)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
does not have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II as a Vlogging camera
Sony HX30V as a Vlogging camera
79
screen is selfie friendly
built-in touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
features face detect autofocus
video resolution high (4096 x 2160 pxls)
includes mic jack
lighter than competition in class (574 grams)
34
reasonably wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
has face detect focusing
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than competitors in class (254g)
slow maximum aperture (f3.2)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
does not have microphone support
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony HX30V Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 II and Sony HX30V
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IISony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V
Class Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Released 2016-09-19 2012-02-28
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VIII BIONZ
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.4 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 226.2mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 20MP 18MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3 and 16:9
Full resolution 5184 x 3888 4896 x 3672
Max native ISO 25600 12800
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW photos
Min boosted ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 121 9
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 25-500mm (20.0x)
Highest aperture - f/3.2-5.8
Macro focus distance - 1cm
Total lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Type of screen Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 1,037k dots 922k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen tech - XtraFine TruBlack TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/1600 seconds
Highest silent shutter speed 1/32000 seconds -
Continuous shooting rate 60.0 frames per second 10.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 9.10 m (at ISO 100) 7.10 m
Flash modes Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/250 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM, 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 4096x2160 1920x1080
Video format MOV, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 574 gr (1.27 lbs) 254 gr (0.56 lbs)
Dimensions 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") 107 x 62 x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 80 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 23.7 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 12.8 not tested
DXO Low light score 1312 not tested
Other
Battery life 350 images 320 images
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLH-1 NP-BG1
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2)
Time lapse feature
Storage type Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Card slots Two 1
Pricing at launch $1,700 $420