Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic TS30

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL1 and Panasonic TS30, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Waterproof by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and TS30 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and TS30 (1/2.3") possess different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1 was manufactured 5 years prior to the TS30 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic TS30 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-PL1 grades against the TS30 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Panasonic TS30 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 enjoys physical measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while 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 the Olympus E-PL1 and Panasonic TS30 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have at that moment. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL1 and the TS30.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and TS30 is 86 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizes simply by checking out specs. The pic underneath might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1 and TS30.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 due to its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Panasonic TS30 will produce greater detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots far more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.