Olympus E-1 vs Sony H300

Here is a extended assessment of the Olympus E-1 versus Sony H300, one being a Pro DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and H300 (20MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and H300 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-1 was launched 11 years before the H300 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Sony H300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-1 grades against the H300 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Sony H300 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-1 has outer measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") along with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) while the Sony H300 has specifications of 130mm x 95mm x 122mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.8") with a weight of 590 grams (1.30 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-1 versus Sony H300 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at that moment. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-1 vs the H300.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and H300 is 59 and 63 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing just by checking out specs. The graphic here may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and H300.

All in all, both of those cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-1 due to its larger sensor will make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Sony H300 will provide more detail utilizing its extra 15 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos way more aggressively. The older E-1 will be behind in sensor tech.