Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Olympus E-30 and Panasonic FZ300 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus E-30 has external dimensions of 142 x 108 x 75 mm (5.59 x 4.25 x 2.95″) and weighs 695 g (1.53 lb / 24.52 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic FZ300 has external dimensions of 132 x 92 x 117 mm (5.2 x 3.62 x 4.61″) and weighs 691 g (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Olympus E-30 and the Panasonic FZ300. Panasonic FZ300 is 10mm narrower and 16mm shorter than Olympus E-30 but it is also 42mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic FZ300 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-30 doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-30, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Olympus E-30 and Panasonic FZ300.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-30 and Panasonic FZ300.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Panasonic FZ300 is 4g lighter than the Olympus E-30 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.
Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on E-30, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Thanks to the weather-sealed body of the FZ300, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to the E-30.
LCD Screen Size and Features
Panasonic FZ300's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Olympus E-30's 2.7" screen.