Olympus E-5 vs Sony HX300

In this write-up, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-5 and Sony HX300, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and HX300 (20MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and HX300 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The E-5 was manufactured 24 months earlier than the HX300 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting through a full comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-5 grades versus the HX300 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Sony HX300 Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-5 has outside measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) whilst the Sony HX300 has measurements of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") having a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-5 and Sony HX300 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the E-5 vs the HX300.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-5 and HX300 is 58 and 63 respectively.

Sometimes, its tough to envision the gap between sensor measurements simply by going over specs. The graphic below will give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-5 and HX300.

All in all, both of those cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-5 due to its bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Sony HX300 will offer greater detail due to its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots far more aggressively. The older E-5 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.