Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic FZ300

Here, we will be looking at the Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic FZ300, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and FZ300 (12MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and FZ300 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The PEN-F was announced 7 months after the FZ300 and they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go straight to a full comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the PEN-F grades against the FZ300 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN-F & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus PEN-F Gallery & Panasonic FZ300 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera, you will need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus PEN-F has external dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ300 has measurements of 132mm x 92mm x 117mm (5.2" x 3.6" x 4.6") having a weight of 691 grams (1.52 lbs).

See the Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic FZ300 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you select at that moment. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the PEN-F versus the FZ300.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the PEN-F and FZ300 is 84 and 59 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to see the contrast in sensor sizes only by checking out technical specs. The image here might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the PEN-F and FZ300.

As you can tell, each of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The PEN-F having a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus PEN-F will provide greater detail with its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs way more aggressively. The more recent PEN-F is going to have a benefit in sensor tech.