Nikon D300S vs Olympus E-510

Lets take a closer look at the Nikon D300S and Olympus E-510, both Advanced DSLR digital cameras by companies Nikon and Olympus. The resolution of the D300S (12MP) and the E-510 (10MP) is pretty well matched but the D300S (APS-C) and E-510 (Four Thirds) offer totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The D300S was released 2 years later than the E-510 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature the same body design (Mid-size SLR).

Before going into a detailed comparison, here is a brief summation of how the D300S matches up against the E-510 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon D300S and Olympus E-510. The complete galleries are available at Nikon D300S Gallery and Olympus E-510 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and size. The Nikon D300S provides outside measurements of 147mm x 114mm x 74mm (5.8" x 4.5" x 2.9") with a weight of 938 grams (2.07 lbs) and the Olympus E-510 has specifications of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Examine the Nikon D300S and Olympus E-510 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the D300S compared to the E-510.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the D300S and E-510 is 55 and 69 respectively.

Oftentimes, its difficult to visualise the difference between sensor measurements merely by checking specs. The graphic below will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the D300S and E-510.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The D300S featuring a bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Nikon D300S will give more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more modern D300S is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.