Olympus E-300 vs Zeiss ZX1

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-300 and Zeiss ZX1, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Zeiss. There is a considerable difference between the resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and ZX1 (37MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and ZX1 (Full frame) provide totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-300 was revealed 14 years earlier than the ZX1 which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Zeiss ZX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-300 matches up against the ZX1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-300 & Zeiss ZX1. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-300 Gallery & Zeiss ZX1 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera often, you should factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-300 has got outer 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) whilst the Zeiss ZX1 has sizing of 142mm x 93mm x 46mm (5.6" x 3.7" x 1.8") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-300 and Zeiss ZX1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the E-300 vs the ZX1.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and ZX1 is 67 and 67 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions purely by checking a spec sheet. The pic below will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-300 and ZX1.

Clearly, both of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-300 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Zeiss ZX1 will give more detail because of its extra 29MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-300 is going to be behind in sensor technology.