Olympus PEN-F vs Sony HX300

In this write-up, we will be evaluating the Olympus PEN-F and Sony HX300, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the PEN-F (20MP) and the HX300 (20MP) is pretty well matched but the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and HX300 (1/2.3") feature different sensor size.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The PEN-F was released 2 years after the HX300 which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a quick summary of how the PEN-F matches up vs the HX300 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN-F & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The complete galleries are available at Olympus PEN-F Gallery & Sony HX300 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus PEN-F offers exterior measurements of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") having a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Sony HX300 has dimensions of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") with a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

Examine the Olympus PEN-F and Sony HX300 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you use during that time. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the PEN-F compared to the HX300.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the PEN-F and HX300 is 84 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to picture the gap between sensor dimensions purely by reading through specs. The image here should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the PEN-F and HX300.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras offer the same exact resolution albeit different sensor dimensions. The PEN-F features the bigger sensor which is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult. The more modern PEN-F should have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.