Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic SZ8
67 Imaging
41 Features
31 Overall
37
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94 Imaging
40 Features
31 Overall
36
Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic SZ8 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 8MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 1.8" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 400 (Expand to 1600)
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 624g - 147 x 85 x 64mm
- Announced January 2005
- Additionally Known as EVOLT E-300
- Refreshed by Olympus E-330
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600 (Increase to 6400)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 24-288mm (F3.1-6.3) lens
- 159g - 100 x 60 x 27mm
- Launched January 2014
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Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic SZ8 Overview
Here is a thorough comparison of the Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic SZ8, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and SZ8 (16MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and SZ8 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor measurements.
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The E-300 was introduced 10 years before the SZ8 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic SZ8 being a Compact camera.
Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-300 grades against the SZ8 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic SZ8 Gallery
Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-300 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-300 Gallery & Panasonic SZ8 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-300 over the Panasonic SZ8
E-300 | SZ8 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More exact focus |
Reasons to pick Panasonic SZ8 over the Olympus E-300
SZ8 | E-300 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | January 2014 | ![]() | January 2005 | Fresher by 109 months |
Display size | 3" | ![]() | 1.8" | Larger display (+1.2") |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 134k | Crisper display (+326k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-300 and Panasonic SZ8
E-300 | SZ8 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Lacking Touch friendly display |
Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic SZ8 Physical Comparison
For those who are intending to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-300 provides physical 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) while the Panasonic SZ8 has specifications of 100mm x 60mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic SZ8 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is a front view scale comparison of the E-300 compared to the SZ8.
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Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and SZ8 is 67 and 94 respectively.
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Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic SZ8 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it is difficult to envision the gap in sensor sizing merely by seeing specs. The photograph underneath will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-300 and SZ8.
All in all, the 2 cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-300 using its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic SZ8 will show more detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older E-300 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.
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Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic SZ8 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic SZ8 Specifications
Olympus E-300 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model type | Olympus E-300 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8 |
Also referred to as | EVOLT E-300 | - |
Category | Advanced DSLR | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Announced | 2005-01-10 | 2014-01-06 |
Physical type | Mid-size SLR | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | - | Venus Engine |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 8 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 3264 x 2448 | 4608 x 3456 |
Maximum native ISO | 400 | 1600 |
Maximum boosted ISO | 1600 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 3 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 24-288mm (12.0x) |
Maximum aperture | - | f/3.1-6.3 |
Available lenses | 45 | - |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 1.8 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of screen | 134k dots | 460k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Screen tech | - | TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | None |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 8s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/2000s |
Continuous shooting rate | 3.0fps | 1.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | - | 5.20 m |
Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | 1/180s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | - | 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p), 320 x 240 (30p) |
Maximum video resolution | None | 1280x720 |
Video data format | - | Motion JPEG |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 624 gr (1.38 lb) | 159 gr (0.35 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 147 x 85 x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") | 100 x 60 x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 200 shots |
Battery type | - | Battery Pack |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II) | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Card slots | Single | Single |
Launch cost | $800 | $275 |