Olympus E-300 vs Olympus XZ-1
67 Imaging
41 Features
31 Overall
37


88 Imaging
35 Features
51 Overall
41
Olympus E-300 vs Olympus XZ-1 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 8MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 1.8" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 400 (Raise to 1600)
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 624g - 147 x 85 x 64mm
- Launched January 2005
- Other Name is EVOLT E-300
- Replacement is Olympus E-330
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/1.63" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-112mm (F1.8-2.5) lens
- 275g - 111 x 65 x 42mm
- Released January 2011

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus XZ-1 Overview
In this write-up, we are contrasting the Olympus E-300 and Olympus XZ-1, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both built by Olympus. The resolution of the E-300 (8MP) and the XZ-1 (10MP) is very similar but the E-300 (Four Thirds) and XZ-1 (1/1.63") possess different sensor measurements.

The E-300 was announced 7 years earlier than the XZ-1 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera.
Before we go straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a concise view of how the E-300 matches up vs the XZ-1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus XZ-1 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-300 & Olympus XZ-1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-300 Gallery & Olympus XZ-1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-300 over the Olympus XZ-1
E-300 | XZ-1 |
---|
Reasons to pick Olympus XZ-1 over the Olympus E-300
XZ-1 | E-300 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | January 2011 | ![]() | January 2005 | More recent by 73 months |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 1.8" | Larger display (+1.2") |
Display resolution | 614k | ![]() | 134k | Crisper display (+480k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-300 and Olympus XZ-1
E-300 | XZ-1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More accurate focus | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Missing selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Missing Touch display |
Olympus E-300 vs Olympus XZ-1 Physical Comparison
If you're going to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-300 provides exterior measurements of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") with a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) while the Olympus XZ-1 has proportions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-300 and Olympus XZ-1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you select at the time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the E-300 compared to the XZ-1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and XZ-1 is 67 and 88 respectively.

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus XZ-1 Sensor Comparison
Often, it is very hard to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements purely by going over specifications. The graphic below will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-300 and XZ-1.
To sum up, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-300 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus XZ-1 will deliver extra detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics a little more aggressively. The older E-300 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus XZ-1 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus XZ-1 Specifications
Olympus E-300 | Olympus XZ-1 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Olympus | Olympus |
Model | Olympus E-300 | Olympus XZ-1 |
Alternative name | EVOLT E-300 | - |
Category | Advanced DSLR | Small Sensor Compact |
Launched | 2005-01-10 | 2011-01-26 |
Body design | Mid-size SLR | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | - | TruePic V |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/1.63" |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 8.07 x 5.56mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 44.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 8 megapixel | 10 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 3264 x 2448 | 3664 x 2752 |
Highest native ISO | 400 | 6400 |
Highest boosted ISO | 1600 | - |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Number of focus points | 3 | 11 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 28-112mm (4.0x) |
Maximal aperture | - | f/1.8-2.5 |
Macro focus distance | - | 1cm |
Amount of lenses | 45 | - |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 4.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 1.8 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of display | 134k dot | 614k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Display technology | - | OLED |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | Electronic (optional) |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60s | 60s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/2000s |
Continuous shooting speed | 3.0 frames per sec | 2.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | - | 8.60 m (ISO 800) |
Flash options | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | 1/180s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | - | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | None | 1280x720 |
Video file format | - | Motion JPEG |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
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 seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 624 gr (1.38 pounds) | 275 gr (0.61 pounds) |
Dimensions | 147 x 85 x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") | 111 x 65 x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | 34 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 18.8 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 10.4 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 117 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 320 photographs |
Battery format | - | Battery Pack |
Battery model | - | Li-50B |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II) | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Retail price | $800 | $567 |