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Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ30

Portability
90
Imaging
37
Features
36
Overall
36
Olympus SZ-10 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30 front
Portability
66
Imaging
40
Features
32
Overall
36

Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ30 Key Specs

Olympus SZ-10
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-504mm (F3.1-4.4) lens
  • 215g - 106 x 67 x 38mm
  • Released February 2011
Panasonic LZ30
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-875mm (F3.0-5.9) lens
  • 552g - 124 x 84 x 92mm
  • Launched January 2013
  • Earlier Model is Panasonic LZ20
  • Replacement is Panasonic LZ40
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Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ30 Overview

Below is a thorough assessment of the Olympus SZ-10 and Panasonic LZ30, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the SZ-10 (14MP) and the LZ30 (16MP) is very well matched and both cameras have the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The SZ-10 was released 23 months earlier than the LZ30 making them a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LZ30 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a short summary of how the SZ-10 scores against the LZ30 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-10 over the Panasonic LZ30

 SZ-10 LZ30 

Reasons to pick Panasonic LZ30 over the Olympus SZ-10

 LZ30 SZ-10 
LaunchedJanuary 2013February 2011More recent by 23 months

Common features in the Olympus SZ-10 and Panasonic LZ30

 SZ-10 LZ30 
Manual focus Lack of manual focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display sizing
Display resolution460k460kThe same display resolution
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen
Touch display Absent Touch display

Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ30 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-10 has got external dimensions of 106mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 215 grams (0.47 lbs) and the Panasonic LZ30 has dimensions of 124mm x 84mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 3.6") along with a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-10 and Panasonic LZ30 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you select at that moment. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the SZ-10 versus the LZ30.

Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ30 size comparison

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-10 and LZ30 is 90 and 66 respectively.

Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ30 top view buttons comparison

Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ30 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it is very tough to see the gap between sensor measurements simply by checking technical specs. The visual underneath may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-10 and LZ30.

As you can tell, both of the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Panasonic LZ30 to give more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos more aggressively. The older SZ-10 is going to be behind in sensor technology.

Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ30 sensor size comparison

Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ30 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ30 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus SZ-10 as a Portrait photography camera
Panasonic LZ30 as a Portrait photography camera
33
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
features face detect focus
lack of manual focus
no manual control
external flash not possible
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
32
megapixel count decent (16MP)
lack of manual focus
external flash not possible
very small sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Street Comparison

Olympus SZ-10 Street photography highlights
Panasonic LZ30 Street photography highlights
60
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than competition in class (215g)
screen is fixed
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
43
has image stabilization (Optical)
screen does not articulate
very small sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
more heavy than others (552g)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus SZ-10 Sports photography factors
Panasonic LZ30 Sports photography factors
40
amazing zoom range (28-504mm 18.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
features tracking focus
continuous shooting slow (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
low battery pack (220 CIPA)
has no phase detect auto focus
47
great zoom range (25-875mm 35.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
features tracking focus
good battery life (380 shots)
low fps (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
very small sensor (1/2.3")
no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus SZ-10 Travel photography information
Panasonic LZ30 Travel photography information
65
lighter than competition in class (215g)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
flash built-in
really wide (28mm)
great zoom (504mm)
does not have Time Lapse mode
low battery pack (220 CIPA)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
56
good battery life (380 CIPA)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
built-in flash
really wide (25mm)
long zoom (875mm)
no Timelapse mode
more heavy than others (552 grams)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus SZ-10
Landscape photography with Panasonic LZ30
40
really wide (28mm)
decent sized screen (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
lack of manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
no manual control
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
low battery pack (220 shots)
does not have Time Lapse mode
45
really wide (25mm)
pretty good screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
good battery life (380 per charge)
lack of manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
no Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus SZ-10 Vlogging highlights
Panasonic LZ30 Vlogging highlights
31
really wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
features face detect focus
lighter than competition in class (215g)
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
low video resolution (1280 x 720 pxls)
does not have mic port
22
really wide (25mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pxls)
no microphone socket
more heavy than others (552g)
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Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic LZ30 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus SZ-10 and Panasonic LZ30
 Olympus SZ-10Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus SZ-10 Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30
Type Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Superzoom
Released 2011-02-08 2013-01-07
Physical type Compact SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic III+ -
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 14 megapixel 16 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 -
Max resolution 4288 x 3216 4608 x 3456
Max native ISO 1600 6400
Lowest native ISO 80 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 28-504mm (18.0x) 25-875mm (35.0x)
Maximum aperture f/3.1-4.4 f/3.0-5.9
Macro focus range 1cm 1cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen size 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 460k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen tech TFT Color LCD TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4 seconds 15 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/2000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 1.0fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 7.10 m 4.40 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30, 15fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1280x720 1280x720
Video data format Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 215 gr (0.47 lbs) 552 gr (1.22 lbs)
Physical dimensions 106 x 67 x 38mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.5") 124 x 84 x 92mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 3.6")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 220 shots 380 shots
Battery type Battery Pack AA
Battery model LI-50B 4 x AA
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 0r 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots One One
Cost at release $300 $230