Olympus E-P1 vs Samsung NX300
86 Imaging
46 Features
42 Overall
44


86 Imaging
62 Features
73 Overall
66
Olympus E-P1 vs Samsung NX300 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 355g - 121 x 70 x 36mm
- Announced July 2009
- Replacement is Olympus E-P2
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3.3" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 25600
- 1/6000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Samsung NX Mount
- 331g - 122 x 64 x 41mm
- Launched November 2013
- Replaced the Samsung NX210
- Updated by Samsung NX500

Olympus E-P1 vs Samsung NX300 Overview
Lets look more in depth at the Olympus E-P1 and Samsung NX300, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by competitors Olympus and Samsung. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and NX300 (20MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and NX300 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

The E-P1 was revealed 5 years earlier than the NX300 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).
Before getting right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-P1 matches up against the NX300 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-P1 vs Samsung NX300 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Samsung NX300. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Samsung NX300 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P1 over the Samsung NX300
E-P1 | NX300 |
---|
Reasons to pick Samsung NX300 over the Olympus E-P1
NX300 | E-P1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | November 2013 | ![]() | July 2009 | Newer by 52 months |
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display dimensions | 3.3" | ![]() | 3" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 768k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer display (+538k dot) |
Touch display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Common features in the Olympus E-P1 and Samsung NX300
E-P1 | NX300 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very exact focus | ||
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lack of selfie screen |
Olympus E-P1 vs Samsung NX300 Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to travel with your camera, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P1 comes with outer measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") and a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Samsung NX300 has proportions of 122mm x 64mm x 41mm (4.8" x 2.5" x 1.6") and a weight of 331 grams (0.73 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus E-P1 and Samsung NX300 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 are employing during that time. Following is a front view size comparison of the E-P1 vs the NX300.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and NX300 is 86 and 86 respectively.

Olympus E-P1 vs Samsung NX300 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it is very hard to picture the difference in sensor dimensions purely by looking through technical specs. The image here may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P1 and NX300.
As you have seen, both of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-P1 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Samsung NX300 will result in more detail because of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-P1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-P1 vs Samsung NX300 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-P1 vs Samsung NX300 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-P1 | Samsung NX300 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Samsung |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-P1 | Samsung NX300 |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Announced | 2009-07-29 | 2013-11-24 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | TruePic V | DRIMe IV |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 369.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12MP | 20MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 5472 x 3648 |
Max native ISO | 6400 | 25600 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Total focus points | 11 | 247 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Samsung NX |
Amount of lenses | 107 | 32 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3" | 3.3" |
Screen resolution | 230 thousand dots | 768 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Screen tech | HyperCrystal LCD with AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | Active Matrix OLED screen |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/6000s |
Continuous shooting rate | 3.0 frames per sec | 9.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | no built-in flash |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in, 1st/2nd Curtain, Smart Flash, Manual |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/180s | 1/180s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720, 640 x 480, 320 x 240 |
Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | Optional |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 355 gr (0.78 lbs) | 331 gr (0.73 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 121 x 70 x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") | 122 x 64 x 41mm (4.8" x 2.5" x 1.6") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 55 | 76 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.4 | 23.6 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.4 | 12.7 |
DXO Low light rating | 536 | 942 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 300 shots | 330 shots |
Battery type | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLS-1 | BP1130 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 sec to 30 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Card slots | One | One |
Launch price | $182 | $750 |