Olympus E-1 vs Samsung NX300M

Following is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus E-1 and Samsung NX300M, one is a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Samsung. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and NX300M (20MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and NX300M (APS-C) offer totally different sensor size.

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The E-1 was revealed 10 years earlier than the NX300M which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Samsung NX300M being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a in depth comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-1 scores versus the NX300M for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 and Samsung NX300M. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Samsung NX300M Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-1 offers exterior dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") and a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Samsung NX300M has dimensions of 122mm x 64mm x 41mm (4.8" x 2.5" x 1.6") having a weight of 331 grams (0.73 lbs).

See the Olympus E-1 and Samsung NX300M in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at the time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-1 compared to the NX300M.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and NX300M is 59 and 86 respectively.

Typically, its hard to see the gap in sensor sizes just by viewing technical specs. The pic here might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and NX300M.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-1 having a smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Samsung NX300M will result in greater detail because of its extra 15MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-1 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.