Olympus E-PL6 vs Panasonic ZS30

Below is a extensive analysis of the Olympus E-PL6 and Panasonic ZS30, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL6 (16MP) and the ZS30 (18MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL6 was unveiled 20 months later than the ZS30 making them a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-PL6 grades vs the ZS30 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery and Panasonic ZS30 Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera often, you should factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL6 enjoys outside dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while 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-PL6 and Panasonic ZS30 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL6 vs the ZS30.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL6 and ZS30 is 88 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to picture the contrast between sensor measurements just by looking at technical specs. The visual underneath will help give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL6 and ZS30.

As you have seen, both of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL6 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh simpler and the Panasonic ZS30 will resolve greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-PL6 should have a benefit in sensor technology.