Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony HX30V

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.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery & Sony HX30V Gallery.

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.

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.

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

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.