Olympus E-300 vs Pentax VS20

On this page, we will be comparing the Olympus E-300 vs Pentax VS20, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and VS20 (16MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and VS20 (1/2.3") posses different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-300 was revealed 8 years before the VS20 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax VS20 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-300 scores against the VS20 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-300 and Pentax Optio VS20. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Pentax VS20 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-300 offers external dimensions of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") and a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) and the Pentax VS20 has measurements of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") along with a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-300 vs Pentax VS20 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-300 and the VS20.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and VS20 is 67 and 90 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements just by seeing technical specs. The photograph below will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-300 and VS20.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-300 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Pentax VS20 will provide extra detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-300 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.