Olympus E-300 vs Olympus 1

In this article, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-300 and Olympus 1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are produced by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and 1 (12MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and 1 (1/1.7") use totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-300 was brought out 10 years prior to the 1 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus 1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going through a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-300 matches up versus the 1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-300 and Olympus Stylus 1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Olympus 1 Gallery.

If you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-300 has physical measurements of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") with a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) and the Olympus 1 has specifications of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") with a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-300 and Olympus 1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have during that time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the E-300 and the 1.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-300 and 1 is 67 and 79 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to envision the gap in sensor measurements just by going through technical specs. The photograph below might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-300 and 1.

As you have seen, both of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-300 because of its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus 1 will produce more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a little more aggressively. The older E-300 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.