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Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS30

Portability
80
Imaging
53
Features
84
Overall
65
Olympus OM-D E-M5 II front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 front
Portability
92
Imaging
42
Features
48
Overall
44

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS30 Key Specs

Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 469g - 124 x 85 x 45mm
  • Announced February 2015
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-M5
  • Replacement is Olympus E-M5 III
Panasonic ZS30
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-480mm (F3.3-6.4) lens
  • 198g - 105 x 59 x 28mm
  • Introduced January 2013
  • Also referred to as Lumix DMC-TZ40
  • Previous Model is Panasonic ZS25
  • Updated by Panasonic ZS35
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Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS30 Overview

Here, we are reviewing the Olympus E-M5 II versus Panasonic ZS30, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-M5 II (16MP) and the ZS30 (18MP) is fairly close but the E-M5 II (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-M5 II was released 2 years after the ZS30 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick summary of how the E-M5 II matches up against the ZS30 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 II over the Panasonic ZS30

 E-M5 II ZS30 
IntroducedFebruary 2015January 2013Newer by 26 months
Manually focus Very accurate focusing
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display resolution1037k920kClearer display (+117k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS30 over the Olympus E-M5 II

 ZS30 E-M5 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 II and Panasonic ZS30

 E-M5 II ZS30 
Display size3"3"Same display measurements
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS30 Physical Comparison

If you are intending to travel with your camera, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 II enjoys physical measurements of 124mm x 85mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") with a weight of 469 grams (1.03 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS30 has specifications of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M5 II versus Panasonic ZS30 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-M5 II versus the ZS30.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS30 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 II and ZS30 is 80 and 92 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS30 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS30 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it is hard to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions merely by researching a spec sheet. The pic here will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 II and ZS30.

Clearly, both the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 II due to its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS30 will result in more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos way more aggressively. The younger E-M5 II provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS30 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS30 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS30 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Portrait photography info
Panasonic ZS30 Portrait photography info
71
you can focus manually
MP count good (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
has face detection autofocus
supports RAW formats
33
decent megapixels (18MP)
no manual focus
can't use external flash
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II as a Street photography camera
Panasonic ZS30 as a Street photography camera
82
screen can move to multiple angles
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
includes focus by touch
weather proof
above average high ISO (25,600)
66
image stabilization (Optical)
comes with focus via touch
lighter than others (198g)
screen does not articulate
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II as a Sports photography camera
Panasonic ZS30 as a Sports photography camera
65
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet mode (1/16,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (16MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
has tracking autofocus
weather proof
terrible battery pack (310 CIPA)
does not have phase detect autofocus
46
long zoom range (24-480mm 20.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (18MP)
supports tracking autofocus
max shutter speed is low (1/1,200 seconds)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
bad battery (260 shots)
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Travel photography information
Panasonic ZS30 Travel photography information
74
weather proof
includes focus by touch
MP count good (16 megapixels)
selfie friendly screen
terrible battery pack (310 CIPA)
69
lighter than others (198g)
comes with focus via touch
decent megapixels (18 megapixels)
has built in flash
reasonably wide (24mm)
very long reach (480mm)
no Time Lapse function
bad battery (260 per charge)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Landscape photography features
Panasonic ZS30 Landscape photography features
74
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (16MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
above average high ISO (25,600)
supports RAW formats
weather proof
terrible battery pack (310 shots)
44
reasonably wide (24mm)
screen size is decent (3 inches)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (18 megapixels)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
bad battery (260 CIPA)
no Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Vlogging details
Panasonic ZS30 Vlogging details
82
selfie friendly screen
built-in touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
has face detection autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
has external mic socket
35
reasonably wide (24mm)
touch screen
image stabilization (Optical)
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than others (198g)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
no external mic jack
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Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS30 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 II and Panasonic ZS30
 Olympus OM-D E-M5 IIPanasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M5 II Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30
Also called as - Lumix DMC-TZ40
Class Advanced Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Announced 2015-02-06 2013-01-07
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic VII -
Sensor type MOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 18 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 4896 x 3672
Maximum native ISO 25600 6400
Minimum native ISO 200 100
RAW data
Minimum boosted ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points 81 23
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-480mm (20.0x)
Max aperture - f/3.3-6.4
Macro focusing distance - 3cm
Number of lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Range of screen Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 1,037 thousand dot 920 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 seconds 15 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/1200 seconds
Maximum silent shutter speed 1/16000 seconds -
Continuous shooting speed 10.0 frames per second 10.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 6.40 m
Flash options Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Maximum flash sync 1/250 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 640 x 480 (30p) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (220 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 469g (1.03 lb) 198g (0.44 lb)
Physical dimensions 124 x 85 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") 105 x 59 x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 73 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.0 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.4 not tested
DXO Low light rating 896 not tested
Other
Battery life 310 shots 260 shots
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLN-1 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots One One
Launch price $699 $250