Olympus E-300 vs Pentax E90

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-300 and Pentax E90, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-300 (8MP) and the E90 (10MP) is pretty close but the E-300 (Four Thirds) and E90 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The E-300 was brought out 6 years earlier than the E90 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax E90 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a complete comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-300 matches up vs the E90 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-300 and Pentax Optio E90. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Pentax E90 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-300 provides physical measurements of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") having a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) while the Pentax E90 has measurements of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") having a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-300 and Pentax E90 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the E-300 and the E90.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-300 and E90 is 67 and 94 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be tough to visualize the difference in sensor sizes just by viewing specifications. The picture below might provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-300 and E90.

To sum up, the 2 cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-300 due to its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Pentax E90 will provide you with more detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots a little more aggressively. The more aged E-300 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.