Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic FX580

Here is a complete comparison of the Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic FX580, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and FX580 (12MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and FX580 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-300 was released 5 years prior to the FX580 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FX580 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-300 matches up versus the FX580 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-300 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Panasonic FX580 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-300 enjoys external dimensions of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") along with a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) and the Panasonic FX580 has specifications of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic FX580 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the E-300 compared to the FX580.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-300 and FX580 is 67 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, its tough to picture the contrast between sensor sizing only by reviewing specs. The graphic below may offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-300 and FX580.

All in all, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-300 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic FX580 will offer you greater detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older E-300 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.