Olympus E-300 vs Pentax P80

Here, we are looking at the Olympus E-300 versus Pentax P80, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and P80 (12MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and P80 (1/2.3") have different sensor size.

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The E-300 was unveiled 5 years earlier than the P80 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax P80 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-300 scores against the P80 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-300 and Pentax Optio P80. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Pentax P80 Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera often, you should factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-300 features outer 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) whilst the Pentax P80 has proportions of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-300 versus Pentax P80 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the E-300 vs the P80.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and P80 is 67 and 95 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to picture the difference in sensor dimensions purely by viewing specifications. The picture below should give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-300 and P80.

To sum up, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-300 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Pentax P80 will provide you with more detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-300 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.