Olympus E-M10 III vs Panasonic LZ30: A Thorough Camera Battle for Enthusiasts and Professionals

When choosing a camera, especially amid the myriad options available, it’s crucial to understand not just the specs on paper, but how those translate into real-world shooting performance and usability. Today, I’m putting two very distinct cameras head-to-head: the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III, a compact but highly capable entry-level mirrorless camera, versus the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30, a budget-friendly bridge camera with a monstrous superzoom lens.

These two could not be more different in target users, design philosophy, or technical approach - yet there’s still crossover appeal depending on your priorities. I’ll unpack key differences and how each holds up across a broad range of photography styles and practical situations. Whether you’re a portrait lover, landscape adventurer, wildlife watcher, or casual traveler, you’ll find insights to help make your decision clear.

Let’s dive in.

Getting a Sense of Size and Handling

First impressions often revolve around size, weight, and ergonomics - all vital for comfort during prolonged shooting sessions. The Olympus E-M10 III is a classic mirrorless design, compact with a truly hand-friendly grip and controls designed for intuitive one-handed operation. The Panasonic LZ30, meanwhile, strikes a bridge camera pose: bulkier, with a fixed lens housing that markedly increases its footprint.

Looking at dimensions, the Olympus measures about 122 x 84 x 50 mm and weighs 410 grams, while the Panasonic is notably larger at 124 x 84 x 92 mm and 552 grams. The extra depth on the LZ30 accounts for its extended zoom lens and larger grip area. Handling-wise, Olympus offers a more refined tactile experience, thanks to dedicated dials, customizable buttons, and a sturdier shell.

If you travel light or prefer something pocketable, the Olympus is a definite win here. Conversely, if your priority leans toward skipping lens changes but still having reach, the Panasonic’s size tradeoff may be acceptable.

Design and Control Layout: Efficiency Meets Ergonomics

Beyond size, how you interact with a camera dramatically affects your enjoyment and efficiency. The Olympus’ top plate is thoughtfully laid out with a modest collection of dials, a mode knob, shooting mode buttons, and a response-optimized shutter release. Panasonic’s bridge-style body favors a simpler approach but with fewer manual controls exposed directly, reflecting its more automation-centric design.

I found the Olympus excels at letting photographers access aperture priority, shutter priority, and full manual mode without diving deep into menus. Its touchscreen and tilting LCD enhance versatility, including challenging angles and street shooting. On the other hand, the LZ30 relies mostly on automatic modes supplemented by limited manual adjustments, lacking a touchscreen and with a fixed, lower-res screen.

If you value quick manual control and customization, the Olympus E-M10 III is clearly superior. But if you’re looking for a straightforward “point and shoot” superzoom experience, Panasonic covers the basics well enough.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of Photography

One of the most important factors in image quality is sensor size and design. The Olympus E-M10 III uses a 4/3-inch Micro Four Thirds sensor with a 16-megapixel CMOS array. In contrast, the Panasonic LZ30 features a much smaller 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor, also 16 megapixels but constrained by physical size and older sensor technology.

What does this mean in practice?

• The Olympus sensor area is approximately 226.2 mm², more than eight times larger than Panasonic’s 28.07 mm². Larger sensors naturally capture more light, offering superior dynamic range, color depth, and high ISO performance.
• The E-M10 III’s TruePic VIII processor delivers cleaner noise control and versatile color processing, plus raw file support for maximum post-processing flexibility.
• The Panasonic’s smaller CCD sensor often leads to increased noise, especially above ISO 400, and narrower dynamic range, impacting detail in shadow and highlight recovery.
• Olympus’s native ISO range spans 200 to 25600, giving more flexibility in varied lighting, while Panasonic maxes out at ISO 6400 with less usable quality at high ISOs.

In my controlled lab tests and real-world shoots, the Olympus sports better image clarity, detail retention, and natural color reproduction across the board. The Panasonic can still produce pleasing images in bright conditions, but its smaller sensor sizes limit creative freedom and performance in challenging lighting.

Viewing and Composing Your Shots: Screen and Viewfinder

Both cameras offer a 3-inch rear display, but the similarities end there.

The Olympus E-M10 III sports a higher resolution tilting touchscreen (1040k dots) that greatly aids composition, focus point selection, and menu navigation. This articulation also helps for low-angle macro shots or selfies (though it lacks a full flip), expanding creative possibilities.

The Panasonic’s screen is fixed, lower resolution at 460k dots, and non-touch. Its lack of an electronic viewfinder forces reliance on the LCD in bright outdoor conditions, which can prove challenging.

Olympus further offers an excellent 2.36M-dot electronic viewfinder with near-100% coverage and 0.62x magnification - an invaluable aid for precision framing and stability. Panasonic has no EVF at all.

Those aiming for a confident, professional framing experience will find clear advantages with the Olympus here.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed: Capturing the Decisive Moment

Autofocus (AF) performance can make or break your experience, especially in wildlife or sports photography.

The Olympus uses contrast-detection AF with 121 focus points, refined algorithms, face detection, and continuous tracking. The Panasonic also uses contrast AF but with fewer focus options and no face detection.

For continuous shooting, Olympus manages a respectable 8.6 fps compared to Panasonic’s sluggish 1 fps. This difference is significant if you shoot moving subjects or action.

Olympus’s more advanced processor and AF system yield more accurate and quicker focus lock, even in low light or with erratic subjects. Panasonic struggles notably with autofocus lag and hunting in dim environments given its simpler mechanism.

Sports photographers or wildlife shooters requiring sharp, timely autofocus should lean toward Olympus’ system. For casual or static subjects, Panasonic’s AF is passable.

Lens Ecosystem and Versatility: Lens Mount vs Fixed Lens

The Olympus accepts interchangeable lenses on the Micro Four Thirds mount, opening up a massive ecosystem of over 100 high-quality lenses including primes, telephotos, macros, and specialty optics. This offers unmatched creative flexibility.

Panasonic’s LZ30 sports a fixed superzoom lens with an optical focal length equivalent of 25-875 mm - some serious reach built-in! However, lens aperture varies widely (f/3.0-5.9), limiting low-light versatility and depth-of-field control.

If you want to experiment with portrait bokeh, astrophotography, or macro work, the Olympus lens swap system is a game-changer. If you value all-in-one convenience or extensive zoom without changing hardware, Panasonic is tempting.

Exploring Different Photography Genres

Let’s break down how each camera suits specific photography needs.

Portrait Photography

Olympus’s Micro Four Thirds sensor delivers smoother skin tones, natural color gradation, and pleasing background separation thanks to lens selection. Face and eye detection help keep focus sharp on subjects.

Panasonic lacks eye detect, and the small sensor’s inherent depth-of-field means less creamy bokeh and flatter images. Still, sharpness is decent in good light.

Winner: Olympus by a wide margin.

Landscape Photography

Dynamic range and resolution are vital here. Olympus’s larger sensor captures more tonal detail in shadows and highlights - important for dramatic skies and textured scenes. 16 MP resolution strikes a good balance; not ultra-HiRes but sufficient for large prints.

Panasonic’s limited dynamic range and weaker high ISO force reliance on good lighting. Also, Olympus offers weather sealing on higher-end models (not this exact model), but neither camera boasts it here.

Winner: Olympus for image quality and flexibility.

Wildlife Photography

Reach is king, so Panasonic’s staggering 25-875 mm lens is hard to ignore - no extra lenses needed. However, autofocus speed and tracking are less reliable, continuous shooting slow, plus lower sensor quality impacts detail of distant subjects.

Olympus provides faster AF, better burst speed, and superior image quality, but you’ll need a telephoto lens (which adds cost and weight) to match reach.

Winner: Depends - Panasonic for zoom convenience, Olympus for quality and speed.

Sports Photography

Fast autofocus and burst shooting are essential. Olympus’s 8.6 fps and more responsive AF make it far better suited for fast action than Panasonic’s single shot per second.

Winner: Olympus hands down.

Street Photography

Discretion, size, and quick responsiveness matter. Olympus’s compact body, tilting screen, and fast AF system make it a nimble and discreet option. Panasonic’s bulk and fixed lens might be intrusive, plus slower AF might miss moments.

Winner: Olympus.

Macro Photography

Olympus supports dedicated macro lenses with close focusing capabilities and in-camera 5-axis image stabilization helping handheld shots. Panasonic has a claimed 1cm macro mode but lacks stabilization and is limited optically by lens constraints.

Winner: Olympus.

Night & Astro Photography

Low-light capability, noise control, and sensor performance make Olympus the better pick. Its stable ISO performance and interchangeable lenses (including fast primes) yield cleaner images in dark conditions.

The Panasonic, with smaller sensor and poorer high ISO, is less suited for challenging low light and astrophotography.

Winner: Olympus.

Video Capabilities

Olympus records 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) at 30p, delivering noticeably sharper and more detailed footage. It supports modern codecs (MOV, H.264) and built-in 5-axis sensor stabilization improves handheld shooting.

Panasonic is limited to 720p HD recording with Motion JPEG format and lacks microphone or headphone jacks - not ideal for serious videographers.

Winner: Olympus.

Travel Photography

Here, versatility counts. The Olympus’s lighter weight, interchangeable lenses, compact body, and Wi-Fi connectivity make it a versatile companion balancing quality and portability.

Panasonic’s long zoom range means fewer lens swaps or gear to carry, but the larger size and lower image/video quality weigh down its appeal.

Winner: Depends on priorities - Olympus for quality and tech, Panasonic for zoom reach and convenience.

Professional Work

Professional photographers demand reliability, robust file formats (raw), lens options, and seamless workflow integration.

Olympus offers raw support, advanced manual controls, hot shoe for external flashes, and established lens ecosystem.

Panasonic’s fixed lens and lack of raw output limit professional usability.

Winner: Olympus.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Neither camera can claim professional-grade weather sealing or ruggedness. Olympus E-M10 III has a solid magnesium alloy body for durability but isn’t weather sealed. Panasonic’s plastic-heavy construction feels less durable.

If you shoot outdoors in harsh conditions, consider higher-tier Olympus or Panasonic models.

Connectivity and Battery Life

Olympus offers built-in Wi-Fi (no Bluetooth) for smartphone pairing, remote shooting, and image transfer. Battery life is rated at about 330 shots per charge.

Panasonic LZ30 has no wireless connectivity but uses 4x AA batteries, making spare power easy to replace on the go. Its battery life is estimated at 380 shots.

Your choice will hinge on whether you prefer rechargeable convenience and wireless sharing (Olympus) or easy battery swapping anywhere (Panasonic).

Price-to-Performance Ratio: Bang for Your Buck

Olympus E-M10 III comes around $650 new, while Panasonic LZ30 is about $230 - a significant price gulf.

For beginners on a budget who want quick zoom and basic photography with minimal fuss, Panasonic is attractive.

If you’re seriously invested in photography, seeking image quality, manual control, lens flexibility, and future-proofing, Olympus offers compelling value despite the higher cost.

Putting It All Together: Notes From My Hands-On Testing

After extensive side-by-side testing - shooting portraits under natural light, landscapes at dusk, wildlife action sequences at the park, and handheld videos - the Olympus E-M10 III consistently outperformed the Panasonic LZ30 where it counts: image quality, autofocus reliability, and creative flexibility.

That said, the Panasonic’s impressive zoom lens ensures it remains a strong contender for casual shooters or those prioritizing zoom reach without investing in multiple lenses.

Olympus E M10 MIII front Olympus E M10 MIII screen back Panasonic LZ30 front Panasonic LZ30 screen back

Here you can see comparative samples illustrating differences in detail, dynamic range, and sharpness.

Olympus scores higher overall thanks to better sensor tech, autofocus, video, and ergonomics.

The detailed genre breakdown confirms Olympus’s superiority in nearly every category except zoom reach and battery flexibility, where Panasonic scores points.

Final Recommendations

• Choose Olympus OM-D E-M10 III if:

  • You want superior image quality and manual control.
  • You’re serious about photography or video.
  • Interchangeable lenses and creative flexibility are priorities.
  • You shoot varied genres including portraits, landscape, macro, sports, and night.
  • You appreciate compact, solid design and modern connectivity.

• Choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30 if:

  • You prefer a budget-friendly camera for casual travel or family use.
  • Instant zoom reach without lens changes matters more than ultimate image quality.
  • Ease of use and simplicity trump manual control.
  • You want AA batteries for easy replacement on the go.
  • You mainly shoot in bright daylight and don’t need advanced video or pro features.

In closing, both cameras serve worthy but different purposes. The Olympus E-M10 III is a compact powerhouse that punches well above its entry-level status, ideal for enthusiasts and professionals seeking a versatile stills and video solution. The Panasonic LZ30 is more of an affordable superzoom bridge camera for casual shooters wanting reach without complexity.

From my perspective, if your budget and ambition allow, the Olympus E-M10 III is by far the more rewarding investment with room to grow your skills and creativity - but if budget constraints or zoom reach are your focus, the Panasonic LZ30 is a capable choice.

I hope this comparative deep dive illuminates your path toward your ideal camera. Happy shooting!

• • Experienced camera reviewer, tested thousands of models across genres and budgets*