Olympus SP-100 vs Sony QX30

Olympus SP-100 vs Sony QX30: An In-Depth Look at Two Distinct Superzoom Cameras

When it comes to superzoom cameras, there's a unique allure - the thrill of an expansive focal range wrapped up in a single, versatile device. Among such offerings, the Olympus Stylus SP-100 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX30 stand out, yet they approach this domain from very different angles. I've spent a fair share of hours behind the viewfinder (and, in the QX30’s case, behind a smartphone) putting these two through their paces. Let’s dissect how they stack up across various photography disciplines and practical use cases, and see which one might make it into your bag.

Getting a Handle on Size and Ergonomics: How They Feel in Your Hands

Before even pointing the lens at a subject, the physical feel of a camera can set the tone for the overall experience. The Olympus SP-100, with its bridge-style SLR-like body, commands more presence; it measures 122 x 91 x 133 mm and weighs in at 594 grams. In contrast, the Sony QX30 is a radical departure - a compact lens-style attachment that weighs just 193 grams and measures 68 x 65 x 58 mm, designed to clip onto your smartphone rather than be an independent handheld device.

In practical terms, the SP-100 feels like a traditional camera with a substantial grip and dedicated controls. It’s bulky, yes, but that bulk affords a comfortable, confident grip that benefits stability - especially handy when zooming into the furthest reaches of its 1200mm equivalent. The QX30, being a lens-style companion without a body or viewfinder, has no built-in grip or traditional camera shape. You’ll almost always use it tethered to your phone, either mounted or handheld separately. This separation offers portability but sacrifices traditional ergonomics.

If you’re someone who demands a dedicated camera experience with physical buttons and controls under your fingers, the SP-100 feels more natural. However, if you prize minimalism, want to augment your smartphone’s photographic capabilities, and don’t mind relying on a touchscreen interface, the QX30’s compact footprint may be appealing.

Visual Control Layout and Operational Intuition

Operating a camera should feel seamless, especially when chasing fleeting moments. The SP-100 banks on a top-mounted physical dial cluster, with buttons arranged for quick access to key functions such as exposure modes, ISO, and burst shooting. The QX30, conversely, sports no physical buttons beyond a power and shutter release - the rest is controlled via the smartphone app.

During my hands-on, the SP-100’s layout revealed its age (announced early 2014) but remains competent and approachable. Although not illuminated, the buttons are logically placed and tactile, enabling a satisfying clicky feedback under the fingertips - a boon during fast moving subjects or low light when you can’t see the screen clearly.

The QX30’s reliance on touchscreen operation means you’re at the mercy of your phone’s UI and responsiveness. While the Sony app is well-optimized and supports touch focus, exposure compensation, and basic settings, it lacks the immediacy of physical controls. For some photographers, this introduces a distraction, as you juggle your phone and the lens piece separately, particularly in fast-paced environments.

Anatomy of the Sensor: Size, Resolution, and Expected Image Quality

Both cameras share the same sensor size - a 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS measuring 6.17 x 4.55 mm. This sensor class is a stalwart of compact superzooms and smartphone cameras, optimized more for reach than for ever-elusive image quality excellence. However, their differences in resolution and processing deserve a closer look.

The SP-100 offers 16 megapixels with an anti-alias filter - a standard arrangement that aims to balance detail with moiré reduction. Its maximum ISO of 6400 (extendable to 12800) offers some flexibility for dimmer conditions, but noise becomes noticeable above ISO 1600.

In contrast, the QX30 ups the resolution to 20 megapixels at essentially the same sensor dimensions, again with an anti-alias filter. Its base ISO starts lower at 80, maxing out at 3200 native - a more conservative range that slightly limits low-light exactness but helps keep noise controlled.

In practice, both sensors produce decently detailed images under daylight, with the QX30 producing slightly sharper imagery and marginally better dynamic range possibly thanks to Sony’s Bionz X processor. Low-light scenarios, however, expose the sensor limitations with noise creeping in at higher ISOs in both cameras.

The Lens Showdown: Focal Range and Aperture Differences

Superzoom prowess hinges on not just sensor size, but the lens’s reach and optical quality. The SP-100 boasts an astounding 24-1200 mm equivalent zoom - a 50x optical zoom with a lens that opens wide to f/2.9 at the wide end, tapering to f/6.5 at full telephoto.

The Sony QX30’s zoom maxes out at 720mm equivalent, a 30x zoom with a slightly narrower aperture of f/3.5-6.3.

Here's where the Olympus pulls ahead for those chasing extreme telephoto reach - birdwatchers, wildlife enthusiasts, and sports shooters can appreciate the extra distance. However, the price is heavier weight and potentially lower edge sharpness at full zoom given the very long zoom stretch.

The Sony QX30’s zoom range still covers the majority of practical scenarios for travel, street, and landscape photography and benefits from a more compact and lightweight design but lacks the extreme tele reach of the SP-100.

Framing Your Shot: Viewfinder and Rear Screen Capabilities

Framing your shot quickly and accurately is a core function often overlooked in specs but crucial in the field.

The SP-100 offers a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) with a resolution of 920k dots and a 3.0 inch fixed TFT LCD screen at 460k dots. The EVF, while modest by modern standards, delivers a clear and stable image for composition in bright conditions where rear LCD glare would be an issue.

The Sony QX30 pairs no viewfinder whatsoever with a lens-only design reliant entirely on your smartphone screen, which naturally varies based on your phone model. This means no direct camera framing and exposure feedback beyond what your phone shows, which can be a compromise in bright sunlight or quick capture scenarios.

The SP-100’s LCD, although not touchscreen, is very serviceable, providing basic tilt and clarity for image review. The QX30’s interface depends wholly on external devices, creating variables in user experience.

In sum, for serious composition and fast framing, the SP-100 wins on traditional usability. The QX30's mode requires a new workflow that, while innovative, is less intuitive under certain lighting conditions or rapid-fire situations.

Image Samples: Real-World Visual Evidence

Seeing is believing, and I captured side-by-side samples across multiple shooting scenarios to illustrate how these cameras perform out in the wild.

Olympus SP 100 front Olympus SP 100 screen back Sony QX30 front Sony QX30 screen back

Portraits rendered by the SP-100 show a pleasing skin tone rendition and smooth background blur when zoomed to wider apertures, though the 1/2.3" sensor limits the creamy bokeh you'd expect from larger sensor systems. Still, its face detection autofocus reliably grabs eyes with good precision.

The QX30's portrait outputs are a touch sharper but appear less forgiving on skin texture, a quirk I noticed during casual use. Autofocus, limited to contrast detection, occasionally hunts in low light, impacting sharpness on moving subjects.

In landscapes, the Sony excels with higher resolution and better color fidelity, particularly when framing wide with daylight accentuating shadow and highlight details. The Olympus struggles slightly with corner sharpness when zoomed fully but does offer impressively wide elements at 24mm.

For wildlife and sports, the Olympus’s 7 fps continuous shooting and 50x zoom provide a decisive advantage over the QX30’s 10 fps burst at 30x zoom, although the QX30's autofocus inability to track causes it to lose moving targets more frequently.

Rock-Solid Reliability: Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Neither camera offers environmental sealing, dustproofing, or waterproofing. They are not designed for rugged adventure use but rather casual outdoor photography under fair conditions.

Build-wise, the Olympus SP-100 feels solid, constructed with a semi-matte plastic chassis that withstands daily wear but wouldn't take heavy knocks well. The Sony QX30’s lens-style design isolates it from traditional camera body protections and is inherently more fragile without an integrated grip or chassis.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

The SP-100 implements a contrast-detection autofocus with face detection and several focusing modes including single, continuous, tracking, and selective, although the number of explicit focus points is unspecified.

Sony's QX30 also uses contrast-detection with face detection but lacks continuous autofocus and subject tracking capabilities. Its autofocus reacts well in well-lit environments but slows noticeably as light diminishes.

In tests, the SP-100’s AF was consistently faster and more reliable for moving subjects - necessary for wildlife and sports photography. The QX30 is better suited for static subjects or careful composition where AF speed is less critical.

High ISO Noise and Low Light Handling

With a shared sensor size but different ISO maxima, testing noise behavior is revealing.

The Olympus SP-100 manages ISO 6400, with usable shots up to ISO 1600 before noise becomes distracting. The Sony QX30’s max ISO is more conservative at 3200, but noise is pronounced by ISO 800 in many conditions due to sensor constraints.

Neither camera excels in low light, but the SP-100's optical stabilization and wider f/2.9 aperture at the wide end provide a slight advantage.

Video Performance: More Than Just Stills

Both cameras offer 1080p full HD video at 60p and 30p frame rates, with the SP-100 using H.264 and the QX30 employing MPEG-4 codecs.

A notable edge for the SP-100 is the inclusion of a 3.5mm microphone port, allowing for external mic input - a boon for vloggers and casual filmmakers wanting better audio fidelity. The QX30 lacks microphone and headphone jacks entirely, limiting audio control.

Image stabilization is optical on both, reducing handheld shake during video capture, though the QX30's compact size makes it easier to maneuver in tight spaces and for travel video shooting.

Macro Photography: Getting Up Close and Personal

Olympus’s SP-100 shines with a particularly close macro focus range down to 1 cm, something quite impressive from a bridge camera. This opens possibilities for capturing fine detail in flora or small objects without additional lenses.

The Sony QX30 does not advertise a dedicated macro mode or extreme close focus distance, making it less versatile for close-up photography.

Connectivity and Wireless Features

The Sony QX30 jumps ahead here, sporting built-in wireless capabilities including Wi-Fi and NFC for instant smartphone pairing and remote control. This wireless design is the defining feature of the lens-style concept.

The Olympus SP-100 has optional wireless via a separate adapter but lacks built-in connectivity, which may feel antiquated in comparison for those wanting immediate image transfer or smartphone tethering.

Battery Life and Storage

The SP-100 uses a Lithium-ion battery pack with an estimated 330 shots per charge, comfortably above average for compact superzooms. The QX30’s battery, smaller by necessity, offers about 200 shots on a charge.

Both use SD card types, but the QX30 relies on microSD and Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick Micro, potentially limiting card choices and capacity flexibility.

Price-to-Performance: Weighing Your Investment

At approximately $400 for the SP-100 and $350 for the QX30, these cameras occupy a similar mid-point budget segment. The SP-100 offers more traditional handling and an expansive zoom, catering towards users prioritizing familiarity and reach. The QX30 innovates with its smartphone integration and pocketable size but trades control and conventional ergonomics.

I found the SP-100 scores higher in handling, autofocus, zoom capability, and video features, while the QX30 scores favorably in portability, connectivity, and resolution.

Performance by Photography Genre: What Each Camera Excels At

Breaking down their relative merits by photographic discipline paints a clearer buying picture.

• Portraits: SP-100’s face detection, faster AF, and macro capability give it an edge in controlled portraits, while QX30 delivers higher resolution images but less forgiving skin tone rendering.

• Landscape: QX30’s greater resolution and color fidelity slightly outpace SP-100, especially under fine lighting nuances.

• Wildlife: SP-100 dominates with longer zoom, better AF tracking, and faster burst rates.

• Sports: SP-100 is a better fit thanks to continuous AF and higher fps shooting.

• Street: QX30’s discreet, small footprint leads here; the SP-100’s size is cumbersome for spontaneous street shots.

• Macro: SP-100 hands down with its 1cm close focus.

• Night/Astro: Neither ideal, but SP-100’s wider aperture at low zooms aids long exposure stability.

• Video: SP-100’s mic input and optical IS give it the edge.

• Travel: QX30 wins on size and wireless features.

• Professional Work: SP-100’s consistent AF, exposure controls, and battery life better suit semi-pro workflows.

In Summary: Which Camera is Right for You?

The Olympus SP-100 is a solid choice if you crave optical reach, tactile controls, and a traditional camera experience without jumping into interchangeable systems - especially if you shoot wildlife, sports, or macro. Its respectable continuous shooting rate and mic input enhance versatility.

The Sony QX30 shines for those seeking an ultra-compact solution intertwined with smartphone creativity and wireless convenience. It’s a compelling option for casual street, travel, and daylight landscapes but less suited for demanding autofocus or low-light work.

If you value zoom length and ergonomics, I’d lean toward the SP-100. If portability and smartphone integration top your list, consider the QX30.

This comparison came from extensive field trials over urban streets, wildlife preserves, and controlled studio environments - a testament to the enduring appeal of superzooms and their evolving form factors.

Happy shooting!