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Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic TS30

Portability
86
Imaging
48
Features
60
Overall
52
Olympus PEN E-P3 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30 front
Portability
95
Imaging
41
Features
31
Overall
37

Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic TS30 Key Specs

Olympus E-P3
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 369g - 122 x 69 x 34mm
  • Introduced August 2011
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-P2
  • Successor is Olympus E-P5
Panasonic TS30
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 1600 (Increase to 6400)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-100mm (F3.9-5.7) lens
  • 142g - 104 x 58 x 20mm
  • Introduced January 2015
  • Alternate Name is Lumix DMC-FT30
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic TS30 Overview

Below is a extended analysis of the Olympus E-P3 versus Panasonic TS30, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Waterproof by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and TS30 (16MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and TS30 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-P3 was introduced 4 years earlier than the TS30 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic TS30 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-P3 scores versus the TS30 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-P3 over the Panasonic TS30

 E-P3 TS30 
Focus manually Dial exact focus
Display size3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution614k230kClearer display (+384k dot)
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic TS30 over the Olympus E-P3

 TS30 E-P3 
IntroducedJanuary 2015August 2011More recent by 41 months

Common features in the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic TS30

 E-P3 TS30 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen

Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic TS30 Physical Comparison

If you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P3 comes with physical dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Panasonic TS30 has dimensions of 104mm x 58mm x 20mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-P3 versus Panasonic TS30 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-P3 against the TS30.

Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic TS30 size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and TS30 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic TS30 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic TS30 Sensor Comparison

Often, it can be hard to visualise the gap between sensor measurements simply by going over specs. The photograph below will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P3 and TS30.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic TS30 will deliver greater detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos way more aggressively. The older E-P3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic TS30 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic TS30 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic TS30 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-P3
Portrait photography with Panasonic TS30
60
manual focus
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
comes with face detection autofocus
supports RAW formats
low resolution sensor (12MP)
36
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
supports face detect focusing
focusing manually not possible
lack of manual exposure
cannot use external flash
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-P3 Street photography advice
Panasonic TS30 Street photography advice
76
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
supports focus via touch
screen is fixed
67
image stabilization (Optical)
weather proofing
lighter than competition (142g)
fixed screen
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-P3 Sports photography highlights
Panasonic TS30 Sports photography highlights
49
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking autofocus
low frames per second (3.0 fps)
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
does not have phase detect autofocus
42
image stabilization (Optical)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
supports tracking focus
weather proofing
max shutter speed is low (1/1,300 seconds)
max fps low (1.3 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
has no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-P3 as a Travel photography camera
Panasonic TS30 as a Travel photography camera
60
supports focus via touch
has built in flash
no Time Lapse mode
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
74
lighter than competition (142g)
weather proofing
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
pretty wide (25mm)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.9)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-P3
Landscape photography with Panasonic TS30
65
manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
no Time Lapse mode
44
pretty wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
weather proofing
focusing manually not possible
can't change lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.9)
tiny screen (2.7")
lack of manual exposure
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-P3 Vlogging info
Panasonic TS30 Vlogging info
35
screen is touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
comes with face detection autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
screen is not selfie friendly
no external mic support
33
pretty wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
supports face detect focusing
lighter than competition (142g)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.9)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
video res low (1280 x 720 pixels)
does not have mic jack
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Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic TS30 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic TS30
 Olympus PEN E-P3Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus PEN E-P3 Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30
Also Known as - Lumix DMC-FT30
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Waterproof
Introduced 2011-08-17 2015-01-06
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VI -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 4032 x 3024 4608 x 3456
Maximum native ISO 12800 1600
Maximum enhanced ISO - 6400
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW images
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 35 23
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 25-100mm (4.0x)
Max aperture - f/3.9-5.7
Macro focusing distance - 5cm
Available lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.9
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3" 2.7"
Resolution of screen 614k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen technology 3:2 OLED with Anti-Fingerprint Coating -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) None
Features
Min shutter speed 60 seconds 8 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/1300 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 3.0 frames per second 1.3 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 10.00 m (@ ISO 200) 4.40 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Wireless, Manual (3 levels) Auto, auto w/redeye reduction, on, slow sync w/redeye reduction, off
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Max flash sync 1/180 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video data format AVCHD, Motion JPEG MPEG-4
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 369g (0.81 lbs) 142g (0.31 lbs)
Physical dimensions 122 x 69 x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") 104 x 58 x 20mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 51 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 20.8 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 10.1 not tested
DXO Low light rating 536 not tested
Other
Battery life 330 images 250 images
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLS-5 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC card SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Cost at release $0 $180