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Olympus E-300 vs Sony S980

Portability
67
Imaging
41
Features
31
Overall
37
Olympus E-300 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 front
Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
17
Overall
27

Olympus E-300 vs Sony S980 Key Specs

Olympus E-300
(Full Review)
  • 8MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 1.8" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 400 (Raise to 1600)
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 624g - 147 x 85 x 64mm
  • Revealed January 2005
  • Also referred to as EVOLT E-300
  • Replacement is Olympus E-330
Sony S980
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
  • 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
  • Announced February 2009
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Olympus E-300 vs Sony S980 Overview

Lets look much closer at the Olympus E-300 and Sony S980, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and S980 (12MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and S980 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-300 was launched 5 years earlier than the S980 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a full comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-300 grades against the S980 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-300 over the Sony S980

 E-300 S980 

Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Olympus E-300

 S980 E-300 
AnnouncedFebruary 2009January 2005Fresher by 49 months
Screen dimensions2.7"1.8"Bigger screen (+0.9")
Screen resolution230k134kSharper screen (+96k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-300 and Sony S980

 E-300 S980 
Manually focus Dial precise focusing
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Lacking Touch friendly screen

Olympus E-300 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to carry your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-300 provides outer dimensions of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") with a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) while the Sony S980 has specifications of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-300 and Sony S980 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the E-300 against the S980.

Olympus E-300 vs Sony S980 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-300 and S980 is 67 and 94 respectively.

Olympus E-300 vs Sony S980 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-300 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison

Often, it's tough to see the contrast in sensor sizing purely by viewing a spec sheet. The photograph here will help provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-300 and S980.

Clearly, both of those cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-300 due to its bigger sensor will make getting bokeh less difficult and the Sony S980 will result in greater detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-300 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.

Olympus E-300 vs Sony S980 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-300 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-300 vs Sony S980 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-300 Portrait photography advice
Sony S980 Portrait photography advice
48
focusing manually
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
does not have liveview
low MP (8MP)
27
you can focus manually
manual mode not possible
external flash not possible
low MP (12MP)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-300 as a Street photography camera
Sony S980 as a Street photography camera
51
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
no moving screen
lack of image stabilization
max ISO too low (400)
47
screen does not articulate
no image stabilization
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-300 Sports photography features
Sony S980 Sports photography features
37
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports phase detect autofocus
does not have liveview
max frames per second very slow (3.0 frames/s)
lack of image stabilization
low MP (8MP)
17
max frames per second low (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
low MP (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-300 as a Travel photography camera
Sony S980 as a Travel photography camera
45
built-in flash
does not have Timelapse mode
low MP (8 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
51
has built in flash
does not have Timelapse recording
low MP (12 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not great (33mm)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-300 Landscape photography highlights
Sony S980 Landscape photography highlights
43
focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
screen is somewhat small (1.8 inches)
does not have liveview
lack of image stabilization
low MP (8MP)
max ISO too low (400)
does not have Timelapse mode
27
you can focus manually
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not great (33mm)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
screen is small (2.7")
manual mode not possible
no image stabilization
low MP (12MP)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
does not have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-300 as a Vlogging camera
Sony S980 as a Vlogging camera
9
lack of video recording
22
wide angle not great (33mm)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
display isn't selfie friendly
no image stabilization
video res low (1280 x 720 pxls)
does not have external microphone jack
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Olympus E-300 vs Sony S980 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-300 and Sony S980
 Olympus E-300Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model Olympus E-300 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980
Also Known as EVOLT E-300 -
Class Advanced DSLR Small Sensor Compact
Revealed 2005-01-10 2009-02-17
Body design Mid-size SLR Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 8 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 3264 x 2448 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 400 3200
Highest boosted ISO 1600 -
Min native ISO 100 80
RAW files
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Number of focus points 3 9
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 33-132mm (4.0x)
Largest aperture - f/3.3-5.2
Macro focus range - 10cm
Amount of lenses 45 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 1.8 inch 2.7 inch
Display resolution 134 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentamirror) None
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 2 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/1600 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 3.0 frames per sec 1.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range - 3.50 m
Flash modes Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/180 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions - 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1280x720
Video file format - Motion JPEG
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 624g (1.38 pounds) 167g (0.37 pounds)
Physical dimensions 147 x 85 x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II) Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Retail price $800 $300