Olympus 6000 vs Sony WX30

Olympus Stylus Tough 6000 vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX30: An In-Depth Comparative Review for Photography Enthusiasts

Selecting the right compact camera often means balancing features, image quality, ruggedness, and price - especially when choosing between notable models such as the Olympus Stylus Tough 6000 (hereafter “Olympus 6000”) and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX30 (“Sony WX30”). Both cameras, released a couple of years apart (2009 and 2011 respectively), cater to users looking for portable, small-sensor compacts, yet their design philosophies and capabilities diverge significantly.

Having tested both models extensively under controlled conditions and real-world scenarios, this comparative review draws on hands-on experience, technical inspection, and field performance to help you choose the right compact camera for your needs. We will cover every aspect from sensor technology through ergonomics, and across important photography genres including portrait, landscape, wildlife, and video pursuits.

How These Cameras Stack Up Physically: Size, Weight, and Ergonomics

The Olympus 6000 targets rugged outdoor photographers interested in durability, whereas the Sony WX30 leans toward a slimmer, more travel-friendly form factor with modern features. Here’s a side-by-side comparison reflecting actual measurements and handling impressions.

• Dimensions and Weight: The Olympus 6000 measures 95 x 63 x 22 mm and weighs 179 grams, making it noticeably bulkier and heavier than the WX30, which is 92 x 52 x 19 mm and tips the scales at just 117 grams. This difference highlights Olympus 6000’s robust build, whereas WX30 aims for pocket portability.

• Build Quality and Materials: The Olympus 6000 boasts environmental sealing, offering resistance against moisture and dust, an increasingly rare feature in compacts. This makes it suitable for adventurous users. Conversely, the Sony WX30 lacks such environmental sealing, prioritizing sleek design over ruggedness.

• Ergonomic Considerations: The bulkier Olympus offers a thicker, more substantial grip area, which can benefit stability during shooting. The Sony’s slimmer body facilitates discreet street photography and travel, though it may feel more cramped in larger hands.

• Control Layout: With its fixed LCD screens and absence of viewfinders, both cameras rely on rear-interface controls. The Olympus 6000’s buttons feel a little more dated and less tactile compared to the finely engineered controls on the Sony WX30. The latter employs a well-laid-out menu system enhanced by a touchscreen interface.

In sum, the Olympus 6000’s physically more robust design caters to users requiring durability, while the Sony WX30 favors everyday carry convenience.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of Your Images

Both cameras utilize a 1/2.3 inch sensor measuring 6.17 x 4.55 mm (effective sensor area of approximately 28.07 mm²), a standard size for compact cameras of their era. However, the Olympus 6000’s sensor is a 10-megapixel CCD, while the Sony WX30 features a 16-megapixel BSI-CMOS sensor - a factor that dramatically influences their image output characteristics.

• Resolution and Detail: The Sony WX30’s 16MP resolution (4608 x 3456 pixels) provides more detailed images, especially noticeable in cropping and large-format printing. In contrast, the Olympus 6000’s 10MP CCD sensor (3648 x 2736 pixels) delivers fewer pixels, affecting sharpness at higher viewing scales.

• Sensor Type Differences: CCD sensors, like in the Olympus 6000, historically offer better color fidelity and lower noise at low ISO, but they tend to consume more power and have slower readout speeds. By contrast, the Sony’s BSI-CMOS sensor (backside-illuminated) is optimized for improved low-light performance, faster readout, and higher dynamic range - advantages critical in real-world shooting.

• ISO Range and Noise Handling: Olympus 6000’s ISO maxes at 1600 with a minimum ISO of 50, while the WX30 supports ISO 100 to 3200. Testing for noise shows the WX30 maintains usable detail at ISO 800 and even 1600, whereas the 6000 begins to show significant grain and chromatic noise above ISO 400, limiting its effectiveness in low-light or indoor settings.

• Dynamic Range: Although neither camera has been independently tested by DxOMark, the technological edge in sensor design gives the Sony WX30 a measurable advantage in dynamic range, preserving highlight and shadow detail in high-contrast scenes such as landscapes or backlit portraits.

These sensor-level differences guide much of the practical experience you'll get with each camera.

Display and User Interface: The Photographer's Window

Accurate visual feedback is vital for composition and review, especially on cameras without viewfinders.

• Screen Size and Quality: The Olympus 6000 employs a 2.7-inch fixed LCD with low resolution (230k dots), whereas the Sony WX30 features a larger 3.0-inch “XtraFine” TFT LCD with 922k dots - providing brighter, sharper, and more color-accurate previews.

• Touchscreen Capability: Sony’s WX30 integrates touchscreen capabilities allowing intuitive focus point selection and easier menu navigation. The Olympus 6000 lacks touchscreen, relying on physical buttons which feel less responsive.

• Live View and Interfaces: Both cameras support live view, but the WX30’s screen clarity aids accurate focus confirmation, particularly beneficial in macro or street photography conditions.

• Viewfinder Absence: Neither camera includes an electronic or optical viewfinder, which can detract for users shooting under bright sunlight where glare hampers LCD usability.

Overall, Sony’s display system substantially improves user experience across varied shooting situations.

Autofocus and Shooting Performance: Precision in Moments That Matter

Despite being compact point-and-shoot style cameras without manual focus support or extensive exposure modes, autofocus speed and accuracy remain critical, especially for moving subjects or macro capture.

• Autofocus Reliability: The Olympus 6000’s AF system is quite basic, lacking face or eye detection, resulting in mediocre speed and occasional focus hunting, especially in low light or on complex subjects. The Sony WX30 counters this with a 9-point AF system and better contrast recognition algorithms, catering well to novice photographers wanting quick, reliable focus acquisition.

• Burst Shooting: With no continuous shooting mode, the Olympus 6000 is less suited for action or wildlife photography. Sony WX30’s 10 frames per second burst mode excels here, allowing better capture of sports, wildlife, or fleeting candid moments.

• Macro Photography: Olympus with its closer 2 cm macro focusing distance theoretically allows sharper close-ups compared to WX30’s 5 cm minimum. However, the lack of manual focus and comparatively slow AF somewhat offset this advantage.

In practical day-to-day shooting, Sony WX30 delivers better AF performance and speed responsiveness - a decisive factor for active photography genres.

Lens and Zoom Range: Versatility Versus Brightness

Despite fixed lenses, both cameras offer different zoom focal ranges and maximum apertures that dictate compositional flexibility.

• Wide-Angle Capability: Sony WX30's 25 mm wide-angle end is marginally wider than Olympus’ 28 mm equivalent, benefiting landscape and interior photography, especially when combined with its higher resolution sensor.

• Zoom Reach: Sony offers a longer 5x zoom reaching 125 mm versus Olympus’ shorter 3.6x zoom capped at 102 mm. This extra telephoto reach, combined with faster AF and burst shooting, lends Sony an edge in wildlife and casual sports photography.

• Max Aperture Brightness: Olympus benefits from a faster aperture at the wide end (f/3.5 vs. f/2.6), but Sony WX30’s relatively slower and narrower maximum aperture at telephoto (f/6.3) versus Olympus (f/5.1) limits telephoto low light capability.

• Image Stabilization: Both cameras incorporate built-in image stabilization; Olympus uses sensor-shift stabilization, whereas Sony uses optical stabilization systems. Optical stabilization often yields smoother results, particularly important at telephoto focal lengths or during low-light handheld shooting.

Flash Systems and Exposure Controls

In compact cameras, built-in flash performance and exposure flexibility vary greatly.

• Olympus 6000: Features a built-in flash with 4-meter effective range and common modes (auto, fill-in, red-eye reduction). Lacks flash exposure compensation or external flash interfaces, limiting creative flash use.

• Sony WX30: The flash covers approx. 3.7 meters and supports modes including slow sync, allowing better ambient + flash balance. While custom exposure compensation is absent in both, Sony’s support for WB bracketing adds versatility for tricky lighting.

Neither camera supports manual shutter or aperture priority modes, pointing to their beginner-friendly automation focus.

Video Capabilities: From VGA to Full HD

Video is often a deciding factor in modern compacts, so comparing capabilities is crucial.

Sony WX30 hands down outperforms Olympus video-wise by offering Full HD 1080p recording at smooth 60 fps frame rates and a choice of widely compatible video codecs (MPEG-4 and AVCHD). This makes WX30 suitable for casual video creators seeking quality zoomed footage.

By contrast, Olympus 6000’s VGA (640x480) resolution at its highest is obsolete by today’s standards, limiting usefulness outside of casual snapshots.

Battery Life, Storage, and Connectivity

Critical practical aspects to consider when shooting all day or traveling.

• Power: Sony WX30 uses a rechargeable NP-BN1 battery with manufacturer-claimed 250 shots per charge, a moderate rating for compacts. Olympus battery info is unspecified but typically compact CCD cameras consume more power per frame.

• Storage Media: Olympus supports xD Picture Cards and microSD, making card availability somewhat niche and potentially expensive. Sony offers versatile support for SD/SDHC/SDXC cards and Memory Stick formats, providing flexibility and generally better card compatibility.

• Connectivity: Neither camera offers wireless connectivity (WiFi or Bluetooth), remote control, or GPS.

• Ports: Sony features HDMI output for easy video playback on TVs, absent on Olympus.

Real-World Photography Applications: Strengths and Weaknesses by Genre

To finish our evaluation, let’s analyze practical suitability across popular photography genres - essential for matching camera strengths with user expectations.

Olympus 6000 front Olympus 6000 screen back Sony WX30 front Sony WX30 screen back

1. Portrait Photography:

   • Olympus 6000: Limited to 10MP, no face detection, and slower AF; bokeh control is minimal due to small sensor and moderate aperture; may produce decent skin tone with CCD’s inherent color rendition.
   • Sony WX30: 16MP sensor and faster autofocus allow better subject isolation and detail; slight advantage in natural skin tones but lacks dedicated eye-detect AF.

2. Landscape Photography:

   • Olympus 6000: Environmental sealing helps outdoor use; however, limited resolution and dynamic range hinder large prints or HDR work.
   • Sony WX30: Higher resolution, broader ISO range, and wider angle lens suit landscape enthusiasts, but absence of weather seal requires care.

3. Wildlife Photography:

   • Olympus 6000: Slower AF and limited zoom constrain wildlife use.
   • Sony WX30: Faster AF and longer zoom offer better wildlife capture potential; burst mode aids in action shots.

4. Sports Photography:

   • Olympus 6000: Lacks continuous shooting, unsuitable.
   • Sony WX30: 10 fps burst capable, though buffer limited; moderately better low-light AF.

5. Street Photography:

   • Olympus 6000: Bulky and rugged, less discreet.
   • Sony WX30: Compact, slim body and quieter operation better for candid shots.

6. Macro Photography:

   • Olympus 6000: Closer 2 cm macro focus distance favors detailed close-ups.
   • Sony WX30: Slightly longer minimum macro distance, but improved AF accuracy partially compensates.

7. Night and Astro Photography:

   • Olympus 6000: High ISO limited to 1600 with noisy output; lacking manual controls.
   • Sony WX30: Higher ISO ceiling at 3200, better noise handling; no manual exposure modes restrict star trails or long exposures.

8. Video Recording:

   • Olympus 6000: VGA quality limits usability.
   • Sony WX30: Full HD at 60fps with optical stabilization offers solid casual video performance.

9. Travel Photography:

   • Olympus 6000: Ruggedness valuable in harsh conditions; extra weight and size may be a downside.
   • Sony WX30: Lightweight, versatile zoom, and superior video make it a versatile travel companion provided you avoid rough environments.

10. Professional Use:

    • Neither camera provides RAW support or advanced controls necessary for professional workflows.
    • Sony WX30’s better file size and image quality offer more flexibility for entry-level professional use.

Overall Performance Ratings: Balanced Scores from Testing

This graphic collates key performance parameters such as image quality, autofocus speed, battery life, and video capability from comprehensive hands-on tests.

• Sony WX30 leads in overall score due to superior sensor tech, faster AF, better burst mode, and HD video.
• Olympus 6000 scores lower primarily due to dated sensor technology and limited video.

Diverse Photography Domains Breakdown

When evaluating camera suitability across specialized photographic disciplines, Sony WX30 demonstrates broader versatility (particularly in street, wildlife, sports, and video), whereas Olympus 6000 finds niche favor with rugged outdoor and macro enthusiasts craving durability and close focusing.

Final Verdict: Which Compact Camera Should You Choose?

Choose the Olympus Stylus Tough 6000 if:

• You prioritize ruggedness and environmental sealing for harsh outdoor use.
• You often shoot macro at very close range.
• You prefer a slightly faster wide-angle aperture for daylight shooting.
• You accept trade-offs in sensor performance for durability.
• You want a simple, robust point-and-shoot for basic adventures.

Choose the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX30 if:

• You desire generally better image quality, higher resolution, and dynamic range.
• Fast, reliable autofocus and continuous shooting matter.
• You value full HD video recording with optical stabilization.
• You require a more compact, lightweight body suitable for travel or street photography.
• You want richer connectivity (HDMI), better display, and flexible storage options.

Parting Thoughts: Balancing Legacy and Modern Compact Capabilities

While both cameras serve the compact enthusiast segment, their era and technological generation mark substantial performance differences that any discerning buyer should consider carefully. Olympus 6000, as a rugged pioneer, excels as a hardy companion but is technically outpaced by the more refined, versatile Sony WX30, which better embraces multimedia and everyday shooting demands.

When evaluating compact cameras in this class, prospective buyers must weigh the priority of physical durability versus image quality and video versatility. For those on a budget, second-hand Olympus units may appeal for rugged travel, yet those seeking a more contemporary experience should look to devices similar to the WX30 or newer models incorporating advanced CMOS sensors and video features.

Thank you for reading this comprehensive comparison. Selecting the right camera is a personal decision shaped by your shooting style, environment, and creative ambitions, and we hope this detailed analysis helps you make an informed choice rooted in practical, hands-on expertise.