Olympus E-300 vs Sony A290

Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-300 versus Sony A290, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and A290 (14MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and A290 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-300 was revealed 6 years prior to the A290 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a in-depth comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the E-300 grades vs the A290 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-300 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-300 offers external measurements of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") with a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") having a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-300 versus Sony A290 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the E-300 against the A290.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and A290 is 67 and 66 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to envision the gap in sensor sizes simply by going through specifications. The picture below should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-300 and A290.

To sum up, both cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-300 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony A290 will show extra detail because of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop images much more aggressively. The more aged E-300 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.