Olympus E-PL6 vs Sony HX300

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-PL6 vs Sony HX300, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL6 (16MP) and the HX300 (20MP) is fairly close but the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and HX300 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL6 was unveiled 18 months later than the HX300 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-PL6 scores against the HX300 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL6 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery & Sony HX300 Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL6 features external measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") having 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") and a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL6 vs Sony HX300 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using during that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL6 and the HX300.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL6 and HX300 is 88 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizing just by viewing specs. The photograph underneath will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL6 and HX300.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL6 with its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Sony HX300 will provide you with more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The fresher E-PL6 provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.