Olympus E-30 vs Sony A300

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus E-30 versus Sony A300, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the A300 (10MP) is pretty similar but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and A300 (APS-C) provide different sensor size.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-30 was revealed 14 months after the A300 which makes them a generation away from each other. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-30 scores versus the A300 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-30 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery & Sony A300 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-30 enjoys external dimensions of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") and a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) while the Sony A300 has sizing of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-30 versus Sony A300 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you select at that moment. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the E-30 vs the A300.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-30 and A300 is 60 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizes only by reading a spec sheet. The picture below may provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-30 and A300.

As you can see, both of those cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-30 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Olympus E-30 will offer you extra detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-30 should have an edge with regard to sensor tech.