Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A300

The following is a extended analysis of the Olympus E-P1 versus Sony A300, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the A300 (10MP) is very comparable but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and A300 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-P1 was released 19 months after the A300 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a detailed comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-P1 scores versus the A300 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Sony A300 Gallery.

In case you're intending to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P1 comes with outside measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Sony A300 has sizing of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-P1 versus Sony A300 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-P1 vs the A300.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and A300 is 86 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to see the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by going through specifications. The pic below may provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and A300.

Plainly, each of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-P1 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF harder and the Olympus E-P1 will produce extra detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The newer E-P1 will have a benefit in sensor technology.