Olympus SZ-30MR vs Panasonic S5

The following is a in depth comparison of the Olympus SZ-30MR vs Panasonic S5, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the SZ-30MR (16MP) and S5 (24MP) and the SZ-30MR (1/2.3") and S5 (Full frame) boast totally different sensor size.

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The SZ-30MR was brought out 10 years before the S5 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-30MR being a Compact camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the SZ-30MR grades against the S5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-30MR and Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery and Panasonic S5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-30MR comes with outer dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S5 has measurements of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") along with a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SZ-30MR vs Panasonic S5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the SZ-30MR and the S5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-30MR and S5 is 89 and 60 respectively.

Often, it's tough to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by viewing technical specs. The pic underneath will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-30MR and S5.

As you can tell, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-30MR because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Panasonic S5 will render extra detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics way more aggressively. The more aged SZ-30MR will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.