Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A300

Below, we are analyzing the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A300, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the XZ-1 (10MP) and the A300 (10MP) is very close but the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and A300 (APS-C) come with different sensor measurements.

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The XZ-1 was introduced 3 years after the A300 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a more detailed comparison, below is a brief summary of how the XZ-1 matches up against the A300 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The whole galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Sony A300 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry around your camera, you will have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-1 comes with external measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Sony A300 has sizing of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A300 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have at that moment. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the XZ-1 against the A300.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and A300 is 88 and 64 respectively.

Usually, it's tough to visualize the difference in sensor sizes only by viewing a spec sheet. The image below might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-1 and A300.

Clearly, both of these cameras have got the exact same resolution but different sensor sizes. The XZ-1 uses the smaller sensor which is going to make obtaining shallower DOF more challenging. The more modern XZ-1 provides an edge in sensor technology.