Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic SZ5

Following is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus E-300 and Panasonic SZ5, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and SZ5 (14MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and SZ5 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-300 was manufactured 8 years earlier than the SZ5 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-300 grades vs the SZ5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-300 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-300 has external dimensions of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") and a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) whilst the Panasonic SZ5 has measurements of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-300 and Panasonic SZ5 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-300 and the SZ5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and SZ5 is 67 and 95 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizes only by reviewing a spec sheet. The picture below may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-300 and SZ5.

As you can see, both of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-300 due to its bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic SZ5 will deliver more detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged E-300 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.