Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic ZS30

On this page, we will be contrasting the Olympus SZ-10 and Panasonic ZS30, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the SZ-10 (14MP) and ZS30 (18MP) but both cameras have the same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SZ-10 was revealed 23 months prior to the ZS30 which makes them a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before delving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise overview of how the SZ-10 scores against the ZS30 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-10 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-10 Gallery and Panasonic ZS30 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-10 features outside dimensions of 106mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 215 grams (0.47 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS30 has dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SZ-10 and Panasonic ZS30 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select at the time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the SZ-10 versus the ZS30.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-10 and ZS30 is 90 and 92 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to imagine the gap between sensor sizes just by reviewing technical specs. The pic here will help give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-10 and ZS30.

As you have seen, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different megapixels. You should expect the Panasonic ZS30 to deliver more detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged SZ-10 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.