Olympus E-300 vs Sony HX9V

Here is a detailed review of the Olympus E-300 and Sony HX9V, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and HX9V (16MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and HX9V (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-300 was introduced 7 years prior to the HX9V and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX9V being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-300 grades against the HX9V for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-300 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Sony HX9V Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera regularly, you need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-300 features external measurements of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) while the Sony HX9V has proportions of 105mm x 59mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-300 and Sony HX9V in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-300 compared to the HX9V.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-300 and HX9V is 67 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's hard to imagine the difference in sensor sizing purely by seeing technical specs. The graphic below will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-300 and HX9V.

As you have seen, both of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-300 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Sony HX9V will provide more detail using its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will help you crop pics way more aggressively. The older E-300 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.