Olympus 7030 vs Sony NEX-7

Here is a in depth overview of the Olympus 7030 and Sony NEX-7, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the 7030 (14MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the 7030 (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The 7030 was unveiled 23 months prior to the NEX-7 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 7030 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a full comparison, below is a simple overview of how the 7030 scores against the NEX-7 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus 7030 and Sony Alpha NEX-7. The full galleries are available at Olympus 7030 Gallery and Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus 7030 features exterior dimensions of 93mm x 56mm x 26mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 140 grams (0.31 lbs) and the Sony NEX-7 has measurements of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 7030 and Sony NEX-7 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the 7030 versus the NEX-7.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 7030 and NEX-7 is 95 and 84 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to see the gap between sensor sizing just by going over specs. The photograph below may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the 7030 and NEX-7.

All in all, both cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The 7030 with its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF harder and the Sony NEX-7 will offer you greater detail having an extra 10MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics much more aggressively. The older 7030 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.