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Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ300

Portability
81 Imaging
52 Features
70 Overall
59
Olympus OM-D E-M5 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 front
Portability
59 Imaging
37 Features
73 Overall
51

Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ300 Key Specs

Olympus E-M5
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 425g - 122 x 89 x 43mm
  • Announced April 2012
  • Renewed by Olympus E-M5 II
Panasonic FZ300
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1/16000s Maximum Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • 25-600mm (F2.8) lens
  • 691g - 132 x 92 x 117mm
  • Announced July 2015
  • Succeeded the Panasonic FZ200
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Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ300 Overview

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-M5 versus Panasonic FZ300, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and FZ300 (12MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and FZ300 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor measurements.

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The E-M5 was released 4 years prior to the FZ300 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-M5 matches up vs the FZ300 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Photography Glossary 
	
	

		

		
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Panasonic FZ300

		

		

			
 E-M5 FZ300 
		

	

	
	

		

		
Reasons to pick Panasonic FZ300 over the Olympus E-M5

		

		

			
 FZ300 E-M5 
AnnouncedJuly 2015April 2012Newer by 39 months
Display typeFully ArticulatedTiltingFully Articulating display
Display resolution1040k610kClearer display (+430k dot)
Selfie screen  Easy selfies
		

	

	
	

		

		
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Panasonic FZ300

		

		

			
 E-M5 FZ300 
Focus manually  Very accurate focusing
Display sizing3"3"Equivalent display measurements
Touch display  Easily navigate
		

	

	

	
	
	
	

	

		

		
Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ300 Physical Comparison

		

		

			
For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M5 comes with external measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ300 has dimensions of 132mm x 92mm x 117mm (5.2" x 3.6" x 4.6") with a weight of 691 grams (1.52 lbs).
See the Olympus E-M5 versus Panasonic FZ300 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses
Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the E-M5 versus the FZ300.
Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ300 size comparison
Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and FZ300 is 81 and 59 respectively.
Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ300 top view buttons comparison		

	

	
	

		

		
Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ300 Sensor Comparison

		

		

			
Oftentimes, it is very difficult to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions purely by seeing technical specs. The pic here will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 and FZ300.
As you can tell, both of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 will produce more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images a little more aggressively. The more aged E-M5 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.
	
			Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ300 sensor size comparison			
		

	

	
	

		

		
Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ300 Screen and ViewFinder

		

		

					

		Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ300 Screen and Viewfinder comparison	

	
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Photography Type Scores

		

	

	
Portrait Comparison
 Olympus E-M5 as a Portrait photography camera
 Panasonic FZ300 as a Portrait photography camera
71
 manual focus
 megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
 sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
 includes face detect autofocus
 delivers RAW formats
46
 focusing manually
 has face detect autofocus
 exports RAW formats
 megapixel count low (12MP)
 tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
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Street Comparison
Olympus E-M5 Street photography highlights
Panasonic FZ300 Street photography highlights
82
 screen tilts up and down
 has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
 delivers RAW formats
 includes touch to focus
 weather proofing
 above average ISO range (25,600)
59
 fully articulated screen
 built in image stabilization (Optical)
 exports RAW formats
 boasts touch to focus
 environment proofing
 tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
 more heavy than competition (691g)
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Sports Comparison
 Olympus E-M5 as a Sports photography camera
 Panasonic FZ300 as a Sports photography camera
67
 has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 megapixel count good (16MP)
 sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
 includes tracking focus
 weather proofing
 has no phase detect autofocus
51
 excellent zoom range (25-600mm  24.0 x zoom)
 max shutter speed is good (1/16,000 seconds)
 built in image stabilization (Optical)
 has tracking focus
 environment proofing
 better than average battery power (380 shots)
 megapixel count low (12MP)
 tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
 lacks phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison
Olympus E-M5 Travel photography factors
Panasonic FZ300 Travel photography factors
66
 weather proofing
 includes touch to focus
 megapixel count good (16MP)
 missing Timelapse recording
 does not have a selfie friendly display
59
 better than average battery power (380 CIPA)
 environment proofing
 boasts touch to focus
 flash built-in
 screen is selfie friendly
 quite wide (25mm)
 great reach (600mm)
 more heavy than competition (691 grams)
 megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
 somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison
Olympus E-M5 Landscape photography advice
Panasonic FZ300 Landscape photography advice
73
 manual focus
 interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
 screen size is good (3 inches)
 has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
 sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
 above average ISO range (25,600)
 delivers RAW formats
 weather proofing
 missing Timelapse recording
52
 focusing manually
 quite wide (25mm)
 nice screen size (3")
 built in image stabilization (Optical)
 exports RAW formats
 environment proofing
 better than average battery power (380 CIPA)
 lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
 somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
 megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
 tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
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Vlogging Comparison
 Olympus E-M5 as a Vlogging camera
 Panasonic FZ300 as a Vlogging camera
34
 touchscreen capability
 has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 includes face detect autofocus
 video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
 does not have a selfie friendly display
 missing microphone socket
62
 quite wide (25mm)
 screen is selfie friendly
 touchscreen enabled
 built in image stabilization (Optical)
 has face detect autofocus
 video resolution high (3840 x 2160 pixels)
 includes microphone jack
 somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
 more heavy than competition (691 grams)
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Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ300 Specifications

		

		

					

		
		

			Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 and Panasonic FZ300
 Olympus OM-D E-M5Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300
General Information
Make Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M5 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300
Class Advanced Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Announced 2012-04-30 2015-07-16
Body design SLR-style mirrorless SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VI Venus Engine
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 12MP
Anti alias filter    
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and  16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and  16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 25600 6400
Minimum native ISO 200 100
RAW photos    
Minimum boosted ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually    
Autofocus touch    
Continuous autofocus    
Single autofocus    
Autofocus tracking    
Selective autofocus    
Autofocus center weighted    
Autofocus multi area    
Autofocus live view    
Face detect focus    
Contract detect focus    
Phase detect focus    
Total focus points 35 49
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 25-600mm (24.0x)
Highest aperture - f/2.8
Macro focusing range - 1cm
Available lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Range of display Tilting Fully Articulated
Display diagonal 3" 3"
Resolution of display 610k dot 1,040k dot
Selfie friendly    
Liveview    
Touch capability    
Display tech Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder resolution 1,440k dot 1,440k dot
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification 0.58x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 60 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/16000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 9.0fps 12.0fps
Shutter priority    
Aperture priority    
Expose Manually    
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change white balance    
Image stabilization    
Inbuilt flash    
Flash distance no built-in flash 8.80 m (at Auto ISO)
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) Auto, auto w/redeye reduction, forced on, forced on w/redeye reduction, slow sync, slow sync w/redeye reduction, forced off
External flash    
AE bracketing    
WB bracketing    
Highest flash sync 1/250 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment metering    
Average metering    
Spot metering    
Partial metering    
AF area metering    
Center weighted metering    
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 3840 x 2160 (30p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 30p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 3840x2160
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone input    
Headphone input    
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected Built-In
Bluetooth    
NFC    
HDMI    
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal    
Water proofing    
Dust proofing    
Shock proofing    
Crush proofing    
Freeze proofing    
Weight 425 grams (0.94 lbs) 691 grams (1.52 lbs)
Dimensions 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") 132 x 92 x 117mm (5.2" x 3.6" x 4.6")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 71 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 22.8 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.3 not tested
DXO Low light rating 826 not tested
Other
Battery life 360 shots 380 shots
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLN-1 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes
Time lapse feature    
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC card
Storage slots 1 1
Retail price $799 $598