Olympus E-300 vs Sony A100

On this page, we are reviewing the Olympus E-300 versus Sony A100, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-300 (8MP) and the A100 (10MP) is very close but the E-300 (Four Thirds) and A100 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-300 was brought out 18 months earlier than the A100 making them a generation away from each other. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a in depth comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-300 grades versus the A100 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-300 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Sony A100 Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera often, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-300 enjoys outside dimensions of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) and the Sony A100 has proportions of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") along with a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-300 versus Sony A100 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-300 versus the A100.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and A100 is 67 and 64 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions simply by viewing a spec sheet. The image here may offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-300 and A100.

Clearly, both of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-300 because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A100 will provide you with greater detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics more aggressively. The more aged E-300 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.