Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic LZ30
89 Imaging
39 Features
47 Overall
42


66 Imaging
39 Features
32 Overall
36
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic LZ30 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
- 226g - 106 x 69 x 40mm
- Launched February 2012
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-875mm (F3.0-5.9) lens
- 552g - 124 x 84 x 92mm
- Revealed January 2013
- Succeeded the Panasonic LZ20
- Successor is Panasonic LZ40

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic LZ30 Overview
Its time to examine more closely at the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic LZ30, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the LZ30 (16MP) is relatively well matched and they possess the exact same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

The SZ-31MR iHS was brought out 11 months earlier than the LZ30 so they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LZ30 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.
Before getting in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the SZ-31MR iHS scores versus the LZ30 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic LZ30 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-31MR iHS & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery & Panasonic LZ30 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-31MR iHS over the Panasonic LZ30
SZ-31MR iHS | LZ30 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen resolution | 920k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper screen (+460k dot) |
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Panasonic LZ30 over the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
LZ30 | SZ-31MR iHS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | January 2013 | ![]() | February 2012 | More modern by 11 months |
Common features in the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Panasonic LZ30
SZ-31MR iHS | LZ30 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | No manual focus | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen dimension | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Identical screen dimensions |
Selfie screen | ![]() | No selfie screen |
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic LZ30 Physical Comparison
For those who are looking to carry around your camera regularly, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has outside measurements 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 LZ30 has specifications of 124mm x 84mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 3.6") having a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs).
Compare the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic LZ30 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at the time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the SZ-31MR iHS versus the LZ30.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-31MR iHS and LZ30 is 89 and 66 respectively.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic LZ30 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it is very difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizes merely by looking at a spec sheet. The image here might offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-31MR iHS and LZ30.
Clearly, both of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the identical resolution so you can expect similar quality of photos however you might want to consider the age of the products into consideration. The more aged SZ-31MR iHS is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic LZ30 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic LZ30 Specifications
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model | Olympus SZ-31MR iHS | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30 |
Category | Small Sensor Superzoom | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Launched | 2012-02-08 | 2013-01-07 |
Physical type | Compact | SLR-like (bridge) |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Dual TruePic V | - |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 16MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | - |
Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4608 x 3456 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 80 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
AF touch | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Cross focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 25-600mm (24.0x) | 25-875mm (35.0x) |
Largest aperture | f/3.0-6.9 | f/3.0-5.9 |
Macro focus range | 1cm | 1cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen diagonal | 3" | 3" |
Screen resolution | 920 thousand dots | 460 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Screen technology | Hypercrystal III TFT Color LCD | TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | None |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 4s | 15s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/1700s | 1/2000s |
Continuous shooting rate | 7.0fps | 1.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 9.30 m | 4.40 m |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
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 | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 226g (0.50 pounds) | 552g (1.22 pounds) |
Dimensions | 106 x 69 x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") | 124 x 84 x 92mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 3.6") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around 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 | 200 photos | 380 photos |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | AA |
Battery model | LI-50B | 4 x AA |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) | Yes (2 0r 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Pricing at launch | $0 | $230 |