Olympus E-P2 vs Sony A300

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-P2 vs Sony A300, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-P2 (12MP) and the A300 (10MP) is pretty close but the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and A300 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizing.

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The E-P2 was released 2 years later than the A300 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-P2 grades against the A300 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P2 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P2 Gallery & Sony A300 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-P2 features outside dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) whilst the Sony A300 has specifications of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-P2 vs Sony A300 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have during that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the E-P2 and the A300.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-P2 and A300 is 86 and 64 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizing simply by looking through specs. The visual below may give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P2 and A300.

All in all, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-P2 because of its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Olympus E-P2 will render greater detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots much more aggressively. The newer E-P2 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.