Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic FZ80

The following is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic FZ80, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and FZ80 (18MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and FZ80 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-300 was introduced 13 years before the FZ80 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-300 scores against the FZ80 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-300 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you'll need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-300 provides 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 Panasonic FZ80 has proportions of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") having a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic FZ80 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you choose during that time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-300 against the FZ80.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-300 and FZ80 is 67 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions only by looking through a spec sheet. The picture here should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-300 and FZ80.

As you can see, both of the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-300 with its bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FZ80 will result in greater detail using its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs much more aggressively. The more aged E-300 will be behind in sensor innovation.