Olympus E-5 vs Sony A300

Below is a in-depth comparison of the Olympus E-5 versus Sony A300, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the A300 (10MP) is fairly comparable but the E-5 (Four Thirds) and A300 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-5 was introduced 3 years later than the A300 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-5 scores versus the A300 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-5 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Sony A300 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-5 provides physical measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) while the Sony A300 has measurements of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-5 versus Sony A300 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-5 against the A300.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and A300 is 58 and 64 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to envision the difference in sensor measurements only by going through a spec sheet. The graphic below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-5 and A300.

Clearly, both cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-5 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Olympus E-5 will provide extra detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The younger E-5 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor tech.