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Olympus E-300 vs Sony RX100 II

Portability
67
Imaging
41
Features
31
Overall
37
Olympus E-300 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II front
Portability
89
Imaging
51
Features
74
Overall
60

Olympus E-300 vs Sony RX100 II Key Specs

Olympus E-300
(Full Review)
  • 8MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 1.8" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 400 (Boost to 1600)
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 624g - 147 x 85 x 64mm
  • Announced January 2005
  • Additionally Known as EVOLT E-300
  • Replacement is Olympus E-330
Sony RX100 II
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 160 - 12800 (Raise to 25600)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-100mm (F1.8-4.9) lens
  • 281g - 102 x 58 x 38mm
  • Launched June 2013
  • Succeeded the Sony RX100
  • New Model is Sony RX100 III
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Olympus E-300 vs Sony RX100 II Overview

Following is a comprehensive overview of the Olympus E-300 and Sony RX100 II, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the image resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and RX100 II (20MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and RX100 II (1") feature different sensor measurements.

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The E-300 was announced 9 years prior to the RX100 II which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony RX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a concise summation of how the E-300 grades versus the RX100 II in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-300 over the Sony RX100 II

 E-300 RX100 II 

Reasons to pick Sony RX100 II over the Olympus E-300

 RX100 II E-300 
LaunchedJune 2013January 2005More modern by 103 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimension3"1.8"Bigger screen (+1.2")
Screen resolution1229k134kSharper screen (+1095k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-300 and Sony RX100 II

 E-300 RX100 II 
Focus manually Very accurate focus
Selfie screen Neither includes selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Absent Touch friendly screen

Olympus E-300 vs Sony RX100 II Physical Comparison

For those who are looking to carry around your camera often, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-300 features physical dimensions of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") along with a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) and the Sony RX100 II has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 281 grams (0.62 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-300 and Sony RX100 II in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have during that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-300 and the RX100 II.

Olympus E-300 vs Sony RX100 II size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-300 and RX100 II is 67 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-300 vs Sony RX100 II top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-300 vs Sony RX100 II Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is very difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes simply by viewing specs. The image below may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-300 and RX100 II.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-300 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Sony RX100 II will render extra detail with its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged E-300 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-300 vs Sony RX100 II sensor size comparison

Olympus E-300 vs Sony RX100 II Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-300 vs Sony RX100 II Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-300 Portrait photography factors
Sony RX100 II Portrait photography factors
48
you can focus manually
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
no liveview feature
resolution not great (8 megapixels)
70
has manual focus
high flash sync speed (1/2,000s)
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (1")
includes face detection autofocus
exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-300 Street photography advice
Sony RX100 II Street photography advice
51
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
no articulating screen
no image stabilization
low max ISO (400)
85
screen tilts up and down
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor size (1")
exports RAW formats
lighter than others in class (281 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-300
Sports photography with Sony RX100 II
37
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with phase detect auto focus
no liveview feature
max fps very slow (3.0 frames per second)
no image stabilization
resolution not great (8MP)
67
image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (1")
includes tracking autofocus
great battery power (350 CIPA)
lacks phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-300 Travel photography information
Sony RX100 II Travel photography information
45
built-in flash
lack of Time Lapse recording
resolution not great (8MP)
display is not selfie friendly
80
great battery power (350 per charge)
lighter than others in class (281 grams)
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
flash built-in
pretty wide (28mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-300 Landscape photography advice
Sony RX100 II Landscape photography advice
43
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
small screen (1.8 inches)
no liveview feature
no image stabilization
resolution not great (8 megapixels)
low max ISO (400)
lack of Time Lapse recording
74
has manual focus
pretty wide (28mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
decent sized screen (3")
image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (20MP)
decent sensor size (1")
exports RAW formats
great battery power (350 shots)
can't swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-300 Vlogging information
Sony RX100 II Vlogging information
9
no video shooting
37
pretty wide (28mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detection autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than others in class (281g)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
doesn't have external mic support
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Olympus E-300 vs Sony RX100 II Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-300 and Sony RX100 II
 Olympus E-300Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
General Information
Company Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus E-300 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
Otherwise known as EVOLT E-300 -
Class Advanced DSLR Large Sensor Compact
Announced 2005-01-10 2013-06-27
Physical type Mid-size SLR Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 8MP 20MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 3264 x 2448 5472 x 3648
Maximum native ISO 400 12800
Maximum boosted ISO 1600 25600
Minimum native ISO 100 160
RAW format
Minimum boosted ISO - 100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points 3 25
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 28-100mm (3.6x)
Maximum aperture - f/1.8-4.9
Macro focusing range - 5cm
Number of lenses 45 -
Crop factor 2.1 2.7
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen diagonal 1.8 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 134 thousand dots 1,229 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen technology - Xtra Fine WhiteMagic TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentamirror) Electronic (optional)
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/2000s
Continuous shooting rate 3.0 frames per second 10.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance - 15.00 m (ISO Auto (W))
Flash settings Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/180s 1/2000s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution None 1920x1080
Video format - MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 624 grams (1.38 lbs) 281 grams (0.62 lbs)
Dimensions 147 x 85 x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") 102 x 58 x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 67
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.5
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.4
DXO Low light rating not tested 483
Other
Battery life - 350 photographs
Form of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (10 sec. / 2 sec. / Self-portrait One-person/ Self-portrait Two-person/ Self timer Continuous (3 or 5 shots))
Time lapse recording With downloadable app
Storage type Compact Flash (Type I or II) SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Price at launch $800 $598