Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic FZ300

The following is a extended comparison of the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic FZ300, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap between the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and FZ300 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and FZ300 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-500 was released 10 years before the FZ300 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-500 grades vs the FZ300 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Panasonic FZ300 Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 has got outside dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ300 has dimensions 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-500 and Panasonic FZ300 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select at the time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-500 against the FZ300.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and FZ300 is 70 and 59 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions only by checking technical specs. The picture below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and FZ300.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FZ300 will resolve more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics much more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.