Olympus E-P5 vs Samsung NX30

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus E-P5 and Samsung NX30, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Samsung. The image resolution of the E-P5 (16MP) and the NX30 (20MP) is fairly well matched but the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and NX30 (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

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The E-P5 was introduced 3 months prior to the NX30 so they are of a similar age. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Samsung NX30 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a full comparison, here is a short view of how the E-P5 scores versus the NX30 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P5 & Samsung NX30. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-P5 Gallery & Samsung NX30 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera, you will want to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-P5 has exterior dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") having a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) whilst the Samsung NX30 has specifications of 127mm x 96mm x 58mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.3") along with a weight of 375 grams (0.83 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-P5 and Samsung NX30 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use during that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-P5 and the NX30.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P5 and NX30 is 85 and 75 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by looking at specs. The pic below may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P5 and NX30.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-P5 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Samsung NX30 will give you extra detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images more aggressively.