Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-300 Comparison

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Olympus E-330

7 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Olympus E-300

8 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CCD Sensor

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Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-300 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing the Olympus E-330 with the camera that it replaced, the Olympus E-300, list out what is new, its advantages over its predecessor and finally try to conclude if the E-330 is a worthy upgrade to the E-300. Olympus E-330 was introduced to the market in March 2006 and Olympus E-300 was launched in January 2005 so it will be interesting to see how much difference this 14 months between the two cameras make.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus E-330 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2006-03-18

7MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 400 ( expands to 1600)

Four Thirds Mount

2.50" Tilting Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

3.0fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

616g. 140 x 87 x 72 mm

Also known as EVOLT E-330

Replaced Olympus E-300 Compare

Olympus E-300 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2005-01-10

8MP - Four Thirds CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 400 ( expands to 1600)

Four Thirds Mount

1.80" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

3.0fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

624g. 147 x 85 x 64 mm

Also known as EVOLT E-300

Olympus E-330 was replaced by Olympus E-450. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus E-450 vs Olympus E-330 / EVOLT E-330
Olympus E-450 vs Olympus E-300 / EVOLT E-300

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

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Reasons to choose Olympus E-330 over Olympus E-300

LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
LCD Screen Size	2.5" vs 1.8"	0.7 inches larger display
LCD Resolution	215k dots vs 134k dots	60% higher resolution screen
Weight	616 g vs 624 g	8 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area	30.47µm2 vs 28.15µm2	8% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

CHECK E-330 PRICE

Reasons to choose Olympus E-300 over Olympus E-330

Sensor Resolution	8 MP vs 7 MP	14% more pixels

CHECK E-300 PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality

Common Weaknesses of Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300

In-body Image Stabilization	No vs No	No Built-in stabilization
Max Resolution	7 MP vs 8 MP	Less details and smaller prints
LCD Screen Size	1.80" vs 1.80"	Small display
LCD Screen Resolution	215k dots vs 134k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
Optical Viewfinder Type	Pentamirror vs Pentamirror	not as bright as Pentaprism Viewfinders
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune)	No vs No	no option to fine tune Auto focus

Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-300: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus E-330 has external dimensions of 140 x 87 x 72 mm (5.51 x 3.43 x 2.83″) and weighs 616 g (1.36 lb / 21.73 oz) (including batteries). Olympus E-300 has external dimensions of 147 x 85 x 64 mm (5.79 x 3.35 x 2.52″) and weighs 624 g (1.38 lb / 22.01 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Olympus E-330 and the Olympus E-300. Olympus E-300 is 2mm shorter and 8mm thinner than Olympus E-330 but it is also 7mm wider.

Comparison image of the Olympus E-330 and the Olympus E-300 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus E-330 is 8g lighter than the Olympus E-300 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you also have to take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300 have the same Four Thirds lens mount and Four Thirds sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

E-330

E-300

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

E-330

E-300

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither the Olympus E-330 / EVOLT E-330 nor Olympus E-300 / EVOLT E-300 provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-330's 2.50" LCD screen is slightly larger than Olympus E-300's 1.8" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Olympus E-330 LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels. On the other hand, Olympus E-300 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-330.

Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-300: Sensor Comparison

Olympus E-330 has a 7.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Olympus E-300 has a 8.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the E-330 and E-300 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300 Cameras

Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Olympus E-330 has 8% larger pixel area compared to Olympus E-300, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.

Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-300 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

The number of available lenses is a big deciding factor when choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300 have the same Four Thirds lens mount and currently there are 47 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 3 lenses with Image stabilization for Four Thirds mount.

Lens Type	# of Olympus E-330 Lenses	# of Olympus E-300 Lenses
Standard Zoom	8	8
Standard Prime	5	5
Wideangle Zoom	4	4
Wideangle Prime	9	9
Telephoto Zoom	6	6
Telephoto Prime	5	5
SuperZoom	2	2
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	3	3
Macro Prime	4	4
Perspective Control Prime	n/a	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	1	1
TOTAL	47	47

Here are some of the most popular Four Thirds Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Four Thirds Mount Lenses for the E-330 and the E-300

	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6	FourThirds	620gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 35-100mm f2.0	FourThirds	1650gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 90-250mm f2.8	FourThirds	3270gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus Zuiko Digital 300mm f2.8	FourThirds	3290gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus Zuiko Digital 17.5-45mm f3.5-5.6	FourThirds	210gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus Zuiko Digital 25mm f2.8 Pancake	FourThirds	95gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 18-180mm f3.5-6.3	FourThirds	435gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD	FourThirds	575gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Olympus E-330 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-300 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 7.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 8.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Olympus E-330 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-300 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Tilting LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Olympus E-330 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-300 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
3 Focus Points
Read the details

Olympus E-330 for Daily Photography

POOR

Olympus E-300 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Large Body
616g
Body Thickness 72mm
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Large Body
624g
Body Thickness 64mm
Read the details

Olympus E-330 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus E-300 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 7.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 8.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-300: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far, but in case you wonder how we rated Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-300 scores compare:

Olympus E-330

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #73 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #670 out of 1260 in all Cameras

Olympus E-300

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #87 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #777 out of 1260 in all Cameras

Olympus E-330 has a higher Overall Score than the Olympus E-300 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Olympus E-300 vs Olympus E-330 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Olympus E-330	Olympus E-300
Brand	Olympus	Olympus
Announced	2006-03-18	2005-01-10
Body Type	Mid-size SLR	Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CCD
Size	Four Thirds	Four Thirds
Dimensions	17.3 x 13 mm	17.3 x 13 mm
Area	224.90mm²	224.90mm²
Megapixels	7 megapixels	8 megapixels
Max Resolution	3136 x 2352	3264 x 2448
Max Native Light sensitivity	400 ISO	400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	1600 ISO	1600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	3	3
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Four Thirds	Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses	47	47
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fixed type
Size	2.50"	1.80"
Resolution	215k dots	134k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentamirror)	Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	n/a
Viewfinder Magnification	0.47x	n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	No	No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync	1/180s	1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	3.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None	None
Video Formats	n/a	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	616g	624g
Dimensions	140 x 87 x 72mm	147 x 85 x 64mm
Battery Life	n/a	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction