Olympus E-30 vs Sony A300
60 Imaging
46 Features
54 Overall
49


64 Imaging
49 Features
45 Overall
47
Olympus E-30 vs Sony A300 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 695g - 142 x 108 x 75mm
- Announced March 2009
(Full Review)
- 10MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 632g - 131 x 99 x 75mm
- Introduced January 2008
- Newer Model is Sony A330

Olympus E-30 vs Sony A300 Overview
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.

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.

Olympus E-30 vs Sony A300 Gallery
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.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-30 over the Sony A300
E-30 | A300 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | March 2009 | ![]() | January 2008 | More modern by 14 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony A300 over the Olympus E-30
A300 | E-30 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-30 and Sony A300
E-30 | A300 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | More exact focus | ||
Screen dimensions | 2.7" | ![]() | 2.7" | Equal screen size |
Screen resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Same screen resolution |
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Absent Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-30 vs Sony A300 Physical Comparison
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.

Olympus E-30 vs Sony A300 Sensor Comparison
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.

Olympus E-30 vs Sony A300 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-30 vs Sony A300 Specifications
Olympus E-30 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A300 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus E-30 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A300 |
Category | Advanced DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2009-03-24 | 2008-01-30 |
Body design | Mid-size SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | TruePic III+ | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 372.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 10 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | - |
Full resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 3872 x 2592 |
Max native ISO | 3200 | 3200 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 11 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Total lenses | 45 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Display diagonal | 2.7 inch | 2.7 inch |
Resolution of display | 230 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Display tech | HyperCrystal II LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | 98% | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.56x | 0.49x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 5.0 frames per second | 3.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 13.00 m | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash modes | Auto, Manual, Fill, Red-eye reduction, Slow sync with red-eye reduction, Slow sync, Slow sync 2nd curtain, Off | Auto, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow, Rear curtain, wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/250 seconds | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Max video resolution | None | None |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 695 grams (1.53 lb) | 632 grams (1.39 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 142 x 108 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") | 131 x 99 x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 55 | 64 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.3 | 22.5 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.4 | 11.4 |
DXO Low light rating | 530 | 538 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 750 shots | - |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | - |
Battery ID | BLM-1 | - |
Self timer | Yes (12 or 2 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II) / xD Picture Card | Compact Flash |
Storage slots | One | One |
Pricing at launch | $1,299 | $0 |