Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A300

Let's look closer at the Olympus VH-515 and Sony A300, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the VH-515 (12MP) and the A300 (10MP) is relatively well matched but the VH-515 (1/2.3") and A300 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The VH-515 was introduced 4 years after the A300 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight into a detailed comparison, below is a short overview of how the VH-515 matches up vs the A300 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VH-515 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VH-515 Gallery & Sony A300 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus VH-515 features outer measurements of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) whilst the Sony A300 has specifications of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus VH-515 and Sony A300 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the VH-515 compared to the A300.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VH-515 and A300 is 95 and 64 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to see the contrast between sensor dimensions purely by checking a spec sheet. The pic below might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the VH-515 and A300.

Clearly, both of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The VH-515 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus VH-515 will give extra detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots much more aggressively. The fresher VH-515 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.