Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic SZ1

Following is a in depth review of the Olympus E-300 and Panasonic SZ1, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap between the image resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and SZ1 (16MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and SZ1 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizes.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The E-300 was brought out 8 years before the SZ1 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic SZ1 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a step-by-step comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-300 grades versus the SZ1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-300 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Panasonic SZ1 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-300 has got external dimensions of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ1 has sizing of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 131 grams (0.29 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-300 and Panasonic SZ1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have at that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-300 vs the SZ1.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-300 and SZ1 is 67 and 95 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to envision the gap between sensor sizes only by reading specifications. The picture below might offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-300 and SZ1.

Plainly, each of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-300 due to its larger sensor will make achieving bokeh easier and the Panasonic SZ1 will offer you greater detail having its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-300 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.