Olympus E-300 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS

In this article, we are comparing the Olympus E-300 and Olympus SZ-16 iHS, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are sold by Olympus. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") use different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-300 was introduced 9 years before the SZ-16 iHS and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a detailed comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-300 grades versus the SZ-16 iHS in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-300 and Olympus SZ-16 iHS. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-300 enjoys physical measurements of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") and a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-16 iHS has measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-300 and Olympus SZ-16 iHS in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have chosen during that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-300 against the SZ-16 iHS.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and SZ-16 iHS is 67 and 89 respectively.

Normally, its tough to picture the gap in sensor sizing purely by viewing specs. The photograph here will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-300 and SZ-16 iHS.

All in all, both cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-300 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will result in extra detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos far more aggressively. The older E-300 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.