Olympus 550WP vs Panasonic LZ30

Below, we will be evaluating the Olympus 550WP and Panasonic LZ30, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the 550WP (10MP) and LZ30 (16MP) but they come with the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The 550WP was manufactured 5 years before the LZ30 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 550WP being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LZ30 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a short highlight of how the 550WP scores versus the LZ30 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus 550WP and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus 550WP Gallery and Panasonic LZ30 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus 550WP comes with outer measurements of 94mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs) while the Panasonic LZ30 has sizing of 124mm x 84mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs).

Check the Olympus 550WP and Panasonic LZ30 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the 550WP vs the LZ30.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 550WP and LZ30 is 94 and 66 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements simply by checking out specifications. The photograph here will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the 550WP and LZ30.

Plainly, both the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You should count on the Panasonic LZ30 to provide more detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The older 550WP will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.