Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS30

Here is a thorough analysis of the Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS30, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and ZS30 (18MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor measurements.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-PL1s was manufactured 3 years earlier than the ZS30 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-PL1s scores versus the ZS30 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Panasonic ZS30 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera, you should factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL1s has got outside dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS30 has sizing of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS30 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at the time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL1s vs the ZS30.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and ZS30 is 86 and 92 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to see the difference in sensor sizing merely by researching technical specs. The photograph below might give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1s and ZS30.

As you have seen, both of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1s because of its larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic ZS30 will render more detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The older E-PL1s will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.