Olympus E-P1 vs Sony HX300

Below, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-P1 versus Sony HX300, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference between the image resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and HX300 (20MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and HX300 (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was unveiled 4 years before the HX300 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-P1 matches up versus the HX300 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Sony HX300 Gallery.

When you are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P1 has physical dimensions 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 Sony HX300 has measurements of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") and a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P1 versus Sony HX300 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use during that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the E-P1 against the HX300.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-P1 and HX300 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Often, its hard to visualize the gap between sensor dimensions merely by checking a spec sheet. The picture underneath will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and HX300.

Clearly, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-P1 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh simpler and the Sony HX300 will resolve more detail having an extra 8MP. Higher resolution will let you crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged E-P1 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.