Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS30

The following is a thorough review of the Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS30, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the ZS30 (18MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL9 was revealed 5 years after the ZS30 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-PL9 grades vs the ZS30 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Panasonic ZS30 Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 enjoys outer dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS30 has sizing of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS30 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen during that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL9 compared to the ZS30.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and ZS30 is 85 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions only by going through specifications. The pic below should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and ZS30.

To sum up, both of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL9 using its larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS30 will produce more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics far more aggressively. The more recent E-PL9 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.