Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony HX30V

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-PL1s versus Sony HX30V, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and HX30V (18MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and HX30V (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL1s was introduced 15 months before the HX30V making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX30V being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a full comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-PL1s grades vs the HX30V in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Sony HX30V Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL1s enjoys external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Sony HX30V has sizing of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL1s versus Sony HX30V in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL1s against the HX30V.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and HX30V is 86 and 90 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to envision the gap in sensor measurements simply by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1s and HX30V.

Clearly, the two cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1s having a larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Sony HX30V will produce greater detail using its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The older E-PL1s will be behind in sensor tech.