Olympus E-P2 vs Panasonic LZ30

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-P2 and Panasonic LZ30, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-P2 (12MP) and LZ30 (16MP) and the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and LZ30 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-P2 was brought out 3 years prior to the LZ30 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LZ30 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-P2 scores vs the LZ30 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-P2 Gallery and Panasonic LZ30 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P2 provides external dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") and a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LZ30 has proportions of 124mm x 84mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 3.6") with a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-P2 and Panasonic LZ30 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-P2 versus the LZ30.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P2 and LZ30 is 86 and 66 respectively.

Usually, it is difficult to see the difference between sensor sizing merely by looking at specifications. The visual below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P2 and LZ30.

Plainly, both of those cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-P2 due to its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic LZ30 will give more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics far more aggressively. The older E-P2 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.