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Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420

Portability
67
Imaging
41
Features
31
Overall
37
Olympus E-300 front
 
Olympus E-420 front
Portability
77
Imaging
44
Features
36
Overall
40

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420 Key Specs

Olympus E-300
(Full Review)
  • 8MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 1.8" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 400 (Bump to 1600)
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 624g - 147 x 85 x 64mm
  • Revealed January 2005
  • Alternative Name is EVOLT E-300
  • Replacement is Olympus E-330
Olympus E-420
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 426g - 130 x 91 x 53mm
  • Released June 2008
  • Older Model is Olympus E-410
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Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420 Overview

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and both are sold by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-300 (8MP) and the E-420 (10MP) is very well matched and they come with the same exact sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

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The E-300 was unveiled 4 years prior to the E-420 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-300 matches up vs the E-420 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-300 over the Olympus E-420

 E-300 E-420 

Reasons to pick Olympus E-420 over the Olympus E-300

 E-420 E-300 
ReleasedJune 2008January 2005Fresher by 42 months
Display sizing2.7"1.8"Larger display (+0.9")
Display resolution230k134kClearer display (+96k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-300 and Olympus E-420

 E-300 E-420 
Focus manually Dial accurate focus
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Neither features selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither features Touch friendly display

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420 Physical Comparison

If you are planning to carry your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-300 enjoys external dimensions of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") along with a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-420 has proportions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") accompanied by a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the E-300 vs the E-420.

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420 size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and E-420 is 67 and 77 respectively.

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it is hard to envision the contrast between sensor sizing only by checking specs. The visual here may provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-300 and E-420.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Olympus E-420 to give you extra detail having an extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos far more aggressively. The older E-300 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-300 as a Portrait photography camera
Olympus E-420 as a Portrait photography camera
48
focusing manually
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
doesn't have liveview
MP count low (8MP)
56
has manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
sensor resolution not great (10 megapixels)
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-300 Street photography info
Olympus E-420 Street photography info
51
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
fixed screen
lack of image stabilization
low maximum ISO (400)
64
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
lighter than competitors in class (426 grams)
no moving screen
does not have image stabilization
Photography Glossary

Sports Comparison

Olympus E-300 Sports photography info
Olympus E-420 Sports photography info
37
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
sensor has phase detect auto focus
doesn't have liveview
max frames per second very slow (3.0 frames/s)
lack of image stabilization
MP count low (8 megapixels)
38
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
has phase detect auto focus
slow fps (4.0 fps)
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (10 megapixels)
low battery power (500 CIPA)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-300 Travel photography information
Olympus E-420 Travel photography information
45
has built in flash
doesn't have Time Lapse function
MP count low (8 megapixels)
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
52
lighter than competitors in class (426 grams)
built-in flash
does not have Time Lapse recording
low battery power (500 per charge)
sensor resolution not great (10MP)
screen isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-300 Landscape photography info
Olympus E-420 Landscape photography info
43
focusing manually
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
screen is small (1.8 inches)
doesn't have liveview
lack of image stabilization
MP count low (8 megapixels)
low maximum ISO (400)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
47
has manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inch)
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (10MP)
low battery power (500 CIPA)
does not have Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-300 Vlogging advice
Olympus E-420 Vlogging advice
9
lack of video recording
9
no video
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Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-420 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-300 and Olympus E-420
 Olympus E-300Olympus E-420
General Information
Company Olympus Olympus
Model Olympus E-300 Olympus E-420
Otherwise known as EVOLT E-300 -
Category Advanced DSLR Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed 2005-01-10 2008-06-23
Physical type Mid-size SLR Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Chip - TruePic III
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 8 megapixels 10 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3
Highest resolution 3264 x 2448 3648 x 2736
Highest native ISO 400 1600
Highest boosted ISO 1600 -
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW files
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 3 3
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Amount of lenses 45 45
Focal length multiplier 2.1 2.1
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen size 1.8" 2.7"
Screen resolution 134 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentamirror) Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.46x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 60 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 3.0fps 4.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range - 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/180 seconds 1/180 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Highest video resolution None None
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 624 gr (1.38 pounds) 426 gr (0.94 pounds)
Dimensions 147 x 85 x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") 130 x 91 x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 56
DXO Color Depth score not tested 21.5
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 10.4
DXO Low light score not tested 527
Other
Battery life - 500 images
Battery type - Battery Pack
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II) Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card
Card slots One One
Launch cost $800 $999