Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-600

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600
      48
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Olympus E-300 and the Olympus E-600, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Olympus E-300 was introduced in January 2005 and Olympus E-600 was introduced in August 2009. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Olympus E-300 Highlights

      • 8 MP Micro Four Thirds CCD Sensor
      • 100 - 400 Native ISO
      • 3 Focus Points
      • 1.8" 134k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 2.5 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Olympus E-600 Highlights

      • 12 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 7 Focus Points
      • Image Stabilization
      • 2.7" 230k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 4.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Olympus E-600
      4. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      5. Screen and Viewfinder
      6. Sensor
      7. Photography Features
      8. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      9. Other Features
      10. Physical Parameters
      11. For Different Types of Photography
      12. Evaluations
      13. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Olympus E-300 and Olympus E-600.

      PROS

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 8 Megapixel
      •   400 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Small Screen - 1.8"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.5 fps
      •   Low USB Speed
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   No Video Capture
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   7 Focus Points
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 55
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Weight - 624 g (1.38 lb / 22.01 oz)
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Weight - 515 g (1.14 lb / 18.17 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus E-300.

      Olympus E-420
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-500
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      Micro Four Thirds

      8 MP

      Olympus E-520
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-400
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-620
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-330
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      7.94 MP

      Olympus E-410
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-510
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-450
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-1
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      5 MP

      Olympus E-30
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Olympus E-5
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Advantage of Olympus E-600

      Olympus E-600
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus E-600 over Olympus E-300.

      Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-600
      Higher Sensor Resolution 8 Megapixel vs 12 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 400 vs 3,200
      Max Image Resolution 3264 x 2448 vs 4032 x 3024
      More Focus Points 3 vs 7
      Face Detection vs
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Image Stabilization vs Sensor Shift
      Screen Type Fixed vs Fully Articulated
      Larger Screen 1.8" vs 2.7"
      Higher Resolution Screen 134k dot vs 230k dot
      Live View vs
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 2.5 fps vs 4.0 fps
      Multi-Segment Metering vs
      Center Weighted Metering vs
      Spot Metering vs
      Higher USB Speed USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
      Lighter 624 g (1.38 lb / 22.01 oz) vs 515 g (1.14 lb / 18.17 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus E-600.

      Olympus E-500
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      Micro Four Thirds

      8 MP

      Olympus E-620
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-450
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-330
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      Micro Four Thirds

      7.94 MP

      Olympus E-410
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-510
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-420
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-400
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-520
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-1
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      Micro Four Thirds

      5 MP

      Sigma SD10
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      APS-C

      3 MP

      Canon Rebel
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      APS-C

      6 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Olympus E-300 Olympus E-600
        Built-in Flash
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Olympus E-300 Olympus E-600
        No Video Capture
        Small SensorMicro Four ThirdsMicro Four Thirds
        Low Resolution Sensor8 Megapixel12 Megapixel
        Low Native ISO4003,200
        Timelapse Recording
        Few Focus Points37
        Low Resolution Screen134k dot230k dot
        No HDMI Output
        No Built-in Microphone
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Olympus E-300 has a 1.8" Fixed screen with 134k dot resolution and Olympus E-600 has a 2.7" Fully Articulated screen with 230k dot resolution. Fully articulated screen makes Olympus E-600 selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinders. magnification and Olympus E-600 has 95% coverage with 0.96x (0.48x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Olympus E-300 features a 8 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CCD sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 224.9 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 400 and expands to 100 - 1,600 in boosted mode. Olympus E-600 features a 12 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Olympus E-300 can take pictures up to 3264 x 2448 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3200 x 2400, 2560 x 1920, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 4:3 aspect ratios. Olympus E-600 is equipped with TruePic III+ processor and can take pictures up to 4032 x 3024 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3200 x 2400, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 4:3 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Four Thirds lens mount. Due to their Micro Four Thirds sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 2x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Olympus E-600

      Olympus E-600 has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs

      Both models have USB inputs for data transfer.


      Battery

      Olympus E-600 comes with BLS-1 battery pack with battery life of 500 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Olympus E-300 has a single Compact Flash (Type I/II) card slot. Olympus E-600 has a single Compact Flash (Type I/II), xD Picture Card card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Olympus E-300, and up to 1/4000 sec on Olympus E-600. Olympus E-300 can shoot continuously up to 2.5 fps. Olympus E-600 can shoot continuously up to 4.0 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m on Olympus E-600. They also accept external flash. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Olympus E-300 body has dimensions of 147 x 85 x 64 mm (5.79 x 3.35 x 2.52") and Olympus E-600 body has dimensions of 130 x 94 x 60 mm (5.12 x 3.7 x 2.36"). Olympus E-300 weighs 624 g (1.38 lb / 22.01 oz) and Olympus E-600 weighs 515 g (1.14 lb / 18.17 oz).

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      147 mm

      85 mm

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      130 mm

      94 mm

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      85 mm

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      94 mm

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      Size comparisons of Olympus E-300 and Olympus E-600

      Olympus E-300 and Olympus E-600 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      POOR
      50
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      POOR
      51
      •   400 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.5 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   7 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      POOR
      50
      •   400 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.5 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      61
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   7 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Small Screen - 1.8"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      81
      •   Small Sensor
      •   7 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      GOOD
      73
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 624 g (1.38 lb / 22.01 oz)
      GOOD
      84
      •   Small Sensor
      •   7 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 515 g (1.14 lb / 18.17 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      GOOD
      78
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 624 g (1.38 lb / 22.01 oz)
      GOOD
      83
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 515 g (1.14 lb / 18.17 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Olympus E-300 and Olympus E-600 and give them scores of 48 and 59 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      OVERALL
      48
      OVERALL
      59

      Sensor

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      POOR
      54
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 8 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   400 Highest Native ISO
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 55

      Photo

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      POOR
      52
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.5 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      GOOD
      70
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec

      Video

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization
      BAD
      0
      •   Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      GOOD
      81
      •   7 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      POOR
      53
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Small Screen - 1.8"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      GOOD
      77
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot

      Connectivity

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      BAD
      33
      •   Low USB Speed
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      POOR
      40
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Olympus E-300

      Olympus E-600

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 624 g (1.38 lb / 22.01 oz)
      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 515 g (1.14 lb / 18.17 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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