Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic FZ300

Here, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-450 and Panasonic FZ300, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-450 (10MP) and the FZ300 (12MP) is relatively similar but the E-450 (Four Thirds) and FZ300 (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

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The E-450 was manufactured 7 years earlier than the FZ300 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-450 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-450 grades against the FZ300 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-450 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-450 Gallery & Panasonic FZ300 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry your camera often, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-450 provides outer dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ300 has measurements of 132mm x 92mm x 117mm (5.2" x 3.6" x 4.6") and a weight of 691 grams (1.52 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-450 and Panasonic FZ300 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the E-450 and the FZ300.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-450 and FZ300 is 77 and 59 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to picture the difference between sensor sizing simply by reading a spec sheet. The graphic here will help offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-450 and FZ300.

Clearly, both of those cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-450 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FZ300 will offer more detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older E-450 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.