Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony HX30V

Lets look closer at the Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony HX30V, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M5 III (20MP) and the HX30V (18MP) is fairly well matched but the E-M5 III (Four Thirds) and HX30V (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizes.

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The E-M5 III was introduced 7 years later than the HX30V and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX30V being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a in depth comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-M5 III scores vs the HX30V for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 III and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 III Gallery and Sony HX30V Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 III provides outside dimensions of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") accompanied by a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs) whilst the Sony HX30V has measurements of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") having a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony HX30V in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-M5 III compared to the HX30V.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 III and HX30V is 80 and 90 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing simply by reading through technical specs. The graphic below will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 III and HX30V.

As you have seen, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 III with its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 III will give extra detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more recent E-M5 III should have a benefit in sensor tech.