Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic TS30

Below is a in depth analysis of the Olympus E-PL1s versus Panasonic TS30, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Waterproof by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and TS30 (16MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and TS30 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL1s was introduced 5 years before the TS30 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic TS30 being a Compact camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PL1s matches up versus the TS30 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Panasonic TS30 Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1s enjoys physical dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Panasonic TS30 has proportions of 104mm x 58mm x 20mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL1s versus Panasonic TS30 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that moment. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL1s against the TS30.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and TS30 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to see the gap between sensor measurements purely by reviewing specs. The photograph underneath should offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1s and TS30.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1s with its bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic TS30 will offer you more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The older E-PL1s is going to be behind in sensor innovation.