Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic ZS30

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic ZS30, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the ZS30 (18MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL8 was launched 3 years later than the ZS30 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a full comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-PL8 scores vs the ZS30 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Panasonic ZS30 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry your camera often, you should factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL8 features outside dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") along with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS30 has measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic ZS30 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select during that time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL8 vs the ZS30.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL8 and ZS30 is 86 and 92 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to visualize the gap between sensor sizing purely by reading through technical specs. The visual below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL8 and ZS30.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL8 because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS30 will give you extra detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images far more aggressively. The more modern E-PL8 should have an advantage in sensor technology.