Olympus E-300 vs Pentax K-500

Here, we are contrasting the Olympus E-300 vs Pentax K-500, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and K-500 (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.

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The E-300 was announced 10 years earlier than the K-500 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-300 scores against the K-500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-300 & Pentax K-500. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-300 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-300 has got outer dimensions 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 Pentax K-500 has proportions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

See the Olympus E-300 vs Pentax K-500 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen during that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-300 and the K-500.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and K-500 is 67 and 64 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to picture the difference in sensor dimensions only by checking out a spec sheet. The picture underneath might give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-300 and K-500.

As you can see, both cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-300 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Pentax K-500 will show greater detail with its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics way more aggressively. The more aged E-300 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.