Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6300

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Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6300

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4/3 226.2mm²
20.3 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Olympus PEN-F Review.
How does it shoot? Olympus PEN-F in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the PEN-F.
Compare Olympus PEN-F image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Olympus PEN-F conclusion.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A6300 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A6300 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A6300.
Compare Sony A6300 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A6300 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Sony A6400
Compare A6300 vs A6400
Compare Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6400

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Differences

Olympus PEN-F advantages over Sony A6300

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
Thinner
37 mm vs 48 mm
Thinner
Higher max flash sync
1/250 vs 1/160 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Bigger RAW buffer
39 vs 22 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6300 advantages over Olympus PEN-F

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Less expensive
$790 vs $999*
Save money for lenses or accessories
Bigger pixels
~ 3.92 vs 3.36 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A6300 test data on DxO Mark PEN-F test data on DxO Mark

1,437 vs 894 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A6300 test data on DxO Mark PEN-F test data on DxO Mark

13.7 vs 12.4 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

400 vs 330 shots
Capture more photos
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.62x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.2 vs 20.3 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-camera panoramas
Both provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
Slow-motion videos
Both provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

Common Weaknesses

Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read PEN-F User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6300 User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

Highest resolution Olympus 4/3" camera yet; Excellent image quality for its class; Very good dynamic range; Fast autofocus; Fast burst speeds; Lots of fun creative filter options; Built-in EVF, Wi-Fi.
Expensive; No weather sealing; Mediocre battery life; No 4K video; No mic or headphone jacks.
Read our Olympus PEN-F Review

Excellent image quality; Improved high-ISO performance; Better JPEG quality; Fast autofocus; Very good subject tracking with real-time live view feature; All-magnesium body construction; 4K video.
Slow buffer clearing (no UHS-II support); No touchscreen, Clunky menus; Wi-Fi can be a bit frustrating to use.
Read our Sony A6300 Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A6000

Olympus PEN-F

Sony A6000

$999
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Lens selection

$659
APS-C

Larger sensor
Less expensive

Compare Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6000

Sony A6300

Sony A6000

$748
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Fast startup

$659
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6300 vs Sony A6000

Compared to Panasonic GX85

Olympus PEN-F

Panasonic GX85

$999
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
High resolution composite

$598
4/3

Less expensive
Shoot 4K video

Compare Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic GX85

Sony A6300

Panasonic GX85

$748
APS-C

Larger sensor
NFC

$598
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6300 vs Panasonic GX85

Compared to Fujifilm X-A3

Olympus PEN-F

Fujifilm X-A3

$999
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Lens selection

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Olympus PEN-F vs Fujifilm X-A3

Sony A6300

Fujifilm X-A3

$748
APS-C

Eye-level viewfinder
Shoot 4K video

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A6300 vs Fujifilm X-A3

Compared to Olympus E-PL8

Olympus PEN-F

Olympus E-PL8

$999
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Eye-level viewfinder

$599
4/3

Has anti-aliasing filter

Compare Olympus PEN-F vs Olympus E-PL8

Sony A6300

Olympus E-PL8

$748
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$599
4/3

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A6300 vs Olympus E-PL8

Compared to Olympus E-PL9

Olympus PEN-F

Olympus E-PL9

$999
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Eye-level viewfinder

$700
4/3

Shoot 4K video
Built-in Bluetooth

Compare Olympus PEN-F vs Olympus E-PL9

Sony A6300

Olympus E-PL9

$748
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$700
4/3

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A6300 vs Olympus E-PL9

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