Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic LX5

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-300 versus Panasonic LX5, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-300 (8MP) and the LX5 (10MP) is very well matched but the E-300 (Four Thirds) and LX5 (1/1.63") boast totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-300 was revealed 8 years before the LX5 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic LX5 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-300 matches up against the LX5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-300 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-300 Gallery & Panasonic LX5 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-300 enjoys outer measurements 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 LX5 has specifications of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-300 versus Panasonic LX5 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-300 against the LX5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and LX5 is 67 and 88 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to envision the difference between sensor measurements purely by checking specs. The visual underneath might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-300 and LX5.

All in all, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-300 with its larger sensor will make achieving bokeh easier and the Panasonic LX5 will resolve greater detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos more aggressively. The older E-300 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.