Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony HX300

Here is a comprehensive comparison of the Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony HX300, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and HX300 (20MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and HX300 (1/2.3") posses different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1 was introduced 3 years before the HX300 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go straight to a full comparison, here is a short view of how the E-PL1 scores versus the HX300 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Sony HX300 Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 enjoys exterior dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Sony HX300 has dimensions of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") having a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony HX300 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have at that moment. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the E-PL1 compared to the HX300.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and HX300 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizing just by checking out specs. The photograph underneath might offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and HX300.

All in all, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Sony HX300 will show more detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images more aggressively. The older E-PL1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.