Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony HX300

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony HX300, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the HX300 (20MP) is pretty similar but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and HX300 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-PL5 was unveiled 5 months prior to the HX300 which means that they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-PL5 matches up vs the HX300 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Sony HX300 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 enjoys exterior measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Sony HX300 has measurements of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") having a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony HX300 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilising during that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the E-PL5 vs the HX300.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and HX300 is 88 and 63 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to see the contrast between sensor sizing only by going over specifications. The graphic below will help give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and HX300.

To sum up, both of those cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 using its bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Sony HX300 will offer greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively.