Olympus E-420 vs Sony HX300

Below is a in-depth comparison of the Olympus E-420 and Sony HX300, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and HX300 (20MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and HX300 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-420 was revealed 5 years earlier than the HX300 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting through a in depth comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-420 matches up versus the HX300 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-420 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Sony HX300 Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-420 features external measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Sony HX300 has sizing of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") along with a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-420 and Sony HX300 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the E-420 versus the HX300.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and HX300 is 77 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to envision the difference in sensor measurements only by going through technical specs. The photograph underneath will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and HX300.

As you have seen, each of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-420 using its bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Sony HX300 will provide greater detail because of its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older E-420 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.