Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-P3

On this page, we will be comparing the Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-P3, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both designed by Olympus. There is a big difference between the resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and E-P3 (12MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-300 was introduced 7 years prior to the E-P3 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-300 grades versus the E-P3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-300 and Olympus PEN E-P3. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Olympus E-P3 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to travel with your camera often, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-300 enjoys physical dimensions of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") and a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-P3 has sizing of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") along with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs).

See the Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-P3 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-300 and the E-P3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and E-P3 is 67 and 86 respectively.

Usually, it is very hard to picture the gap between sensor dimensions merely by looking at technical specs. The picture underneath will help give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-300 and E-P3.

As you can tell, both of those cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different MP. You should count on the Olympus E-P3 to give greater detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-300 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.