Olympus E-PL2 vs Samsung NX300M

Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-PL2 vs Samsung NX300M, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by rivals Olympus and Samsung. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and NX300M (20MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and NX300M (APS-C) boast different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL2 was unveiled 23 months earlier than the NX300M which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-PL2 scores vs the NX300M with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL2 & Samsung NX300M. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery & Samsung NX300M Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera, you have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL2 comes with external dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) and the Samsung NX300M has proportions of 122mm x 64mm x 41mm (4.8" x 2.5" x 1.6") with a weight of 331 grams (0.73 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL2 vs Samsung NX300M in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL2 and the NX300M.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL2 and NX300M is 85 and 86 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing purely by looking through specifications. The visual here should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL2 and NX300M.

Plainly, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL2 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Samsung NX300M will provide you with more detail having an extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-PL2 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.