Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony HX30V

Let's look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PM1 versus Sony HX30V, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and HX30V (18MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and HX30V (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PM1 was revealed 3 months prior to the HX30V so they are of a similar age. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX30V being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-PM1 matches up against the HX30V with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Sony HX30V Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PM1 provides physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) whilst the Sony HX30V has dimensions 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-PM1 versus Sony HX30V in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you choose at that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PM1 vs the HX30V.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and HX30V is 89 and 90 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to envision the contrast in sensor sizes simply by looking through technical specs. The picture here will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PM1 and HX30V.

As you can tell, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PM1 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Sony HX30V will provide you with extra detail because of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics a bit more aggressively.