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Olympus E-300

 
Olympus E-300 front
 
  • 8MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 1.8" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 400 (Expand to 1600)
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 624g - 147 x 85 x 64mm
  • Revealed January 2005
  • Alternative Name is EVOLT E-300
  • Later Model is Olympus E-330
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Lenses
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
67
Imaging
41
Features
31
Overall
37

Olympus E-300 summary

Olympus E-300 is Olympus's Advanced DSLR camera initially launched on January of 2005. The camera has a 8MP, CCD Four Thirds sized sensor and has a full resolution of 3264 x 2448. The camera is referred to as "EVOLT E-300" in other countries.

Olympus launched the fresher Olympus E-330 (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to replace this camera.

The E-300 is ranked #89 out of 92 in Advanced DSLR cameras & over-all #864 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our database. Please check our Smart camera filter to get camera listings based on your custom requirements.

Photography Glossary

Below is a diagram of different factors used in the rating system.

Olympus E-300 family

The Olympus E-300 is part of a family of digital cameras. You can read the detailed range below.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Olympus-E-5 front thumbnailOlympus E-5
E-300 vs E-5
12MPFour Thirds5.0 fps2011
Olympus-E-450 front thumbnailOlympus E-450
E-300 vs E-450
10MPFour Thirds4.0 fps2009
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Olympus-E-30 front thumbnailOlympus E-30
E-300 vs E-30
12MPFour Thirds5.0 fps2009
Olympus-E-3 front thumbnailOlympus E-3
E-300 vs E-3
10MPFour Thirds5.0 fps2008
Olympus-E-510 front thumbnailOlympus E-510
E-300 vs E-510
10MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2007
Olympus-E-330 front thumbnailOlympus E-330
E-300 vs E-330
7MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2006
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Olympus-E-500 front thumbnailOlympus E-500
E-300 vs E-500
8MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2005
Olympus-E-300 front thumbnailOlympus E-3008MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2005

Olympus E-300 Pros and Cons

Below is a list of good and bad points of the Olympus E-300 based on features that are typically regarded as crucial in a camera.

built-in flash
delivers RAW formats
great minimum ISO (100)
has manual focus
has phase detect AF
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
display is not selfie friendly
max fps very slow (3.0 frames/s)
maximum ISO low (400)
no HDMI out
no headphone support
no image stabilization
no liveview feature
no mic support
no moving screen
no Time Lapse recording
no video recording
pixelated screen (134 k dots)
sensor resolution low (8MP)
tiny screen (1.8")
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Olympus E-300 Sensor details

The measurement of the sensor in the Olympus E-300 is 17.3mm x 13mm (Four Thirds). The 225 mm² sensor has the capability to capture 3264 x 2448 pixels at aspect ratios of 4:3.

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The CCD sensor has 8MP and has a native ISO range of 100 - 400. This ISO can be extended electronically to a high of 1600. RAW photos are saved which means that you have wider room to maneuver in post.

The graphic below illustrates the E-300's sensor dimensions when compared to other common sizes. The E-300 sensor has a crop factor of 2.1 and is shown in green.

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To get an understanding of specific aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Olympus E-300 dimensions

Olympus E-300 weighs around 1.38 lbs (624g or 22.01 oz) & the over all size of the camera is 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5"). The weight of average Advanced DSLR camera is 776g so the Olympus E-300 is less heavy compared with various competitors.

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Below is a pic of the Olympus E-300 alongside a soft drink so you're able to get a feel for its scale.

Olympus E-300 dimensions scale

The top view here will show the button design on the E-300.

Olympus E-300 topview buttons dials

Olympus E-300 Lens specs

The E-300 works with the Micro Four Thirds mount and has 162 lenses available to buy. Below is some of the lenses we have in our database which will fit the E-300.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Olympus-Zuiko-Digital-ED-50-200mm-f2.8-3.5-SWD lensOlympus Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 SWD50-200mmf/2.8-3.5 995g
Olympus-M.Zuiko-Digital-14-42mm-f3.5-5.6-II-R lensOlympus M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II R14-42mmf/3.5-5.6 112g
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Olympus-Zuiko-Digital-ED-7-14mm-f4.0 lensOlympus Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f4.07-14mmf/4.0 780g
Sigma-30mm-F2.8-DN-Micro-Four-Thirds lensSigma 30mm F2.8 DN30mmf/2.8 135g
Lensbaby-Velvet-56-Micro-Four-Thirds lensLensbaby Velvet 5656mmf/1.6 400g
Olympus-M.Zuiko-Digital-ED-8mm-F1.8-Fisheye-PRO lensOlympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO8mmf/1.8 314g
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Panasonic-Lumix-G-Vario-12-60mm-F3.5-5.6-ASPH-Power-OIS-Micro-Four-Thirds lensPanasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS12-60mmf/3.5-5.6 210g
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Olympus E-300 Connectivity

The E-300 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Digital cameras with NFC and / or Bluetooth compatibility can easily be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You are able to send photos and in some cases adjust settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.

Many applications even enable a Liveview and release the shutter in case you are not close to the camera. If the camera contains a HDMI port, it could be attached to an external screen. Nearly all cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack with the USB socket.

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Olympus E-300 Video specs

Olympus E-300 doesn't take video. In case you are wanting a camera to take only photos, this is not a concern.

Photography Glossary

Olympus E-300 Weather Sealing

Olympus E-300 does not include environment proofing so wet conditions can easily affect the camera.

Olympus E-300 Display and Viewfinder

The Olympus E-300 has a 1.8" fixed display boasting a resolution of 134k dots.

Unfortunately the display is not a touch screen.

Olympus E-300 screen and viewfinder Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

The ViewFinder specifications for Olympus E-300 are below:

  • ViewFinder Optical (pentamirror)

Viewfinders are very useful in bright outdoor conditions which will make the camera display washed out and hard to see.

Olympus E-300 Shutter specs

Olympus E-300 has the capability to shoot continuously at 3.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/4000 sec.

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Olympus E-300 Flash and Hot shoe specs

Olympus E-300 has both in-built flash as well as external flash support. The max flash sync speed is 1/180 sec.

Olympus E-300 Autofocus specs

Olympus E-300 has both Phase Detect Autofocus as well as Contrast Based Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more snappier and precise compared with Contrast Based autofocusing.

The Sensor has 3 focus points to pick from. Olympus E-300 features manual focusing in case it is required in low light conditions or you want more accurate control on focusing.

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Olympus E-300 Battery life

The average Advanced DSLR camera battery life is 909. Nikon D780 has got the best (2260) battery life in this kind of cameras.

Here is a number of Advanced DSLR cameras which have the highest battery life:

Olympus E-300 for different kinds of photography

The following illustration indicates a summary of the Olympus E-300 for different kinds of photography. To read more, browse to the specific section below.

Olympus E-300 Portrait photography details

The Olympus E-300 gets a points tally of 48 which is average, and means the camera is somewhat acceptable for portrait photography. Photographing portraits favors greatly towards sensor dimension, RAW support and flexibility to work with external lighting.

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manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
no liveview
low resolution sensor (8 megapixels)

Olympus E-300 Street photography details

With a average score of 51, the Olympus E-300 is relatively adequate to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera comes with a fine balance of image quality and portability.

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nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
no articulating screen
lack of image stabilization
max ISO too low (400)

Olympus E-300 Sports photography features

A bad sports photography score of 37 means the Olympus E-300 is just not good for taking pictures of sports. A camera must have fantastic tracking plus fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
has phase detect AF
does not have liveview
very slow continuous shooting (3.0 fps)
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution low (8 megapixels)

Olympus E-300 as a Travel photography camera

Portability is very critical in picking a travel camera. Overall, the Olympus E-300 gets a bad 45 for a travelling camera which makes it just not good to buy for your travels.

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built-in flash
no Timelapse mode
MP count low (8MP)
screen isn't selfie friendly

Olympus E-300 as a Landscape photography camera

For anybody planning to pick a digital camera for landscape pictures, the most vital factor will no doubt be image quality. The Olympus E-300 with it's bad grade of 43 as a landscape camera is just not good amongst its rivals.

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focusing manually
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
screen is small (1.8 inch)
no liveview
no image stabilization
MP count low (8 megapixels)
low maximum ISO (400)
doesn't have Timelapse function

Olympus E-300 as a Vlogging camera

A camera for vlogging should have a moving display, mic port and if possible IBIS. Taking everything into account, the Olympus E-300 is just not good for vlogging as it receives a bad rating of 9.

Photography Glossary
can't record video

Olympus E-300 Alternatives

If you are interested in alternatives to the E-300, here is a selection of the highest scored cameras which fall into the category of Advanced DSLR.

The line chart just below will give you a summary of the E-300 vs it's highest scoring competitors shown above.

There are more cameras you might take into account as alternate options. To go through a detailed comparison, simply click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Manufacturer
Olympus
Model type
Olympus E-300
Also called
EVOLT E-300
Type
Advanced DSLR
Revealed
2005-01-10
Physical type
Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
Four Thirds
Sensor dimensions
17.3 x 13mm
Sensor surface area
224.9mm²
Sensor resolution
8 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3
Highest Possible resolution
3264 x 2448
RAW files
Maximum native ISO
400
Maximum enhanced ISO
1600
Min native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points
3
Lens
Lens support
Micro Four Thirds
Available lenses
45
Focal length multiplier
2.1
Screen
Type of display
Fixed Type
Display diagonal
1.8"
Display resolution
134k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
Optical (pentamirror)
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Minimum shutter speed
60 secs
Fastest shutter speed
1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter rate
3.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash options
Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize
1/180 secs
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Maximum video resolution
None
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
624g (1.38 pounds)
Dimensions
147 x 85 x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5")
Other
Self timer
Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage type
Compact Flash (Type I or II)
Card slots
1
Cost at release
$800