Olympus E-300 vs Olympus XZ-1

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.

Photography Glossary

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.

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.

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.

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.