Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic S1
67 Imaging
41 Features
31 Overall
37


96 Imaging
35 Features
21 Overall
29
Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic S1 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 8MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 1.8" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 400 (Bump to 1600)
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 624g - 147 x 85 x 64mm
- Announced January 2005
- Other Name is EVOLT E-300
- New Model is Olympus E-330
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-112mm (F3.1-5.6) lens
- 117g - 99 x 59 x 21mm
- Announced January 2011

Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic S1 Overview
Here is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic S1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and S1 (12MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

The E-300 was revealed 7 years earlier than the S1 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic S1 being a Compact camera.
Before we go through a complete comparison, below is a concise view of how the E-300 grades vs the S1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic S1 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-300 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Panasonic S1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-300 over the Panasonic S1
E-300 | S1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial exact focus |
Reasons to pick Panasonic S1 over the Olympus E-300
S1 | E-300 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | January 2011 | ![]() | January 2005 | Fresher by 72 months |
Display sizing | 2.7" | ![]() | 1.8" | Larger display (+0.9") |
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 134k | Clearer display (+96k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-300 and Panasonic S1
E-300 | S1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither offers selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Neither offers Touch display |
Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic S1 Physical Comparison
If you are going to carry your camera often, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-300 offers physical measurements of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") having a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) while the Panasonic S1 has sizing of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs).
Examine the Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic S1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at that time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-300 against the S1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-300 and S1 is 67 and 96 respectively.

Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic S1 Sensor Comparison
Typically, it can be difficult to see the gap in sensor sizing purely by checking out specifications. The photograph below may offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-300 and S1.
To sum up, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-300 with its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic S1 will produce extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics far more aggressively. The older E-300 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic S1 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic S1 Specifications
Olympus E-300 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model | Olympus E-300 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1 |
Alternate name | EVOLT E-300 | - |
Class | Advanced DSLR | Small Sensor Compact |
Announced | 2005-01-10 | 2011-01-05 |
Physical type | Mid-size SLR | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | - | Venus Engine IV |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 8MP | 12MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 3264 x 2448 | 4000 x 3000 |
Max native ISO | 400 | 6400 |
Max enhanced ISO | 1600 | - |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
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/3.1-5.6 |
Macro focus distance | - | 5cm |
Available lenses | 45 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Type of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display size | 1.8 inches | 2.7 inches |
Display resolution | 134 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Display technology | - | TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | None |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 8 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/1600 secs |
Continuous shutter rate | 3.0 frames per second | - |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | - | 3.30 m |
Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash synchronize | 1/180 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | - | 1280 x 720 (30fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | None | 1280x720 |
Video data format | - | Motion JPEG |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
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 | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 624 gr (1.38 lb) | 117 gr (0.26 lb) |
Dimensions | 147 x 85 x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") | 99 x 59 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 240 photos |
Battery type | - | Battery Pack |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage type | Compact Flash (Type I or II) | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail price | $800 | $269 |