Olympus E-5 vs Panasonic FZ300

Here is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus E-5 and Panasonic FZ300, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the FZ300 (12MP) is pretty close but the E-5 (Four Thirds) and FZ300 (1/2.3") boast different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was unveiled 5 years before the FZ300 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-5 grades vs the FZ300 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Panasonic FZ300 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-5 features outside dimensions of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) and 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).

Analyze the Olympus E-5 and Panasonic FZ300 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-5 compared to the FZ300.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-5 and FZ300 is 58 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing purely by researching technical specs. The graphic below will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-5 and FZ300.

As you have seen, both of those cameras come with the identical resolution albeit different sensor sizing. The E-5 features the bigger sensor which is going to make getting shallower depth of field easier. The older E-5 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.