Olympus E-300 vs Panasonic ZS15

Below, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-300 versus Panasonic ZS15, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and ZS15 (12MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and ZS15 (1/2.3") feature different sensor size.

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The E-300 was launched 8 years earlier than the ZS15 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech 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 ZS15 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-300 scores versus the ZS15 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-300 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-300 Gallery & Panasonic ZS15 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-300 has got outer measurements of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") having a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS15 has dimensions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-300 versus Panasonic ZS15 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have during that time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the E-300 compared to the ZS15.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and ZS15 is 67 and 92 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizes simply by viewing a spec sheet. The image below should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-300 and ZS15.

As you can see, both of those cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-300 because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic ZS15 will provide you with more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-300 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.