Leica Digilux 3 vs Olympus E-300

The Leica Digilux 3 and the Olympus Evolt E-300 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in September 2006 and September 2004. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The Leica has a resolution of 7.4 megapixels, whereas the Olympus provides 8 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Leica Digilux 3		Olympus E-300
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Four Thirds lenses		Four Thirds lenses
7.4 MP – Four Thirds sensor		8 MP – Four Thirds sensor
no Video		no Video
ISO 100-1,600		ISO 100-400 (100 - 1,600)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
2.5" LCD – 207k dots		1.8" LCD – 134k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
3 shutter flaps per second		2.5 shutter flaps per second
750 shots per battery charge		750 shots per battery charge
146 x 87 x 77 mm, 606 g		147 x 85 x 64 mm, 624 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Leica Digilux 3 and the Olympus Evolt E-300? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Leica Digilux 3 and the Olympus E-300 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-300 is somewhat smaller (2 percent) than the Leica Digilux 3. However, the E-300 is slightly heavier (3 percent) than the Digilux 3. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the Digilux 3 nor the E-300 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica Digilux 3	146 mm	87 mm	77 mm	606 g	750	n	Sep 2006	US$ 1 499	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-300	147 mm	85 mm	64 mm	624 g	750	n	Sep 2004	US$ 799	ebay.com
3.		Canon 30D	144 mm	106 mm	74 mm	785 g	750	n	Feb 2006	US$ 1 399	ebay.com
4.		Canon XT	127 mm	94 mm	64 mm	540 g	400	n	Feb 2005	US$ 899	ebay.com
5.		Leica M8	139 mm	80 mm	37 mm	591 g	550	n	Sep 2006	US$ 5 499	ebay.com
6.		Leica V-LUX 1	141 mm	86 mm	142 mm	734 g	360	n	Sep 2006	US$ 849	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-1	141 mm	104 mm	81 mm	738 g	750	Y	Jun 2003	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-30	142 mm	108 mm	75 mm	701 g	750	n	Nov 2008	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-330	140 mm	87 mm	72 mm	637 g	750	n	Jan 2006	US$ 999	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-400	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	435 g	500	n	Sep 2006	US$ 699	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-500	130 mm	95 mm	66 mm	479 g	750	n	Sep 2005	US$ 599	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic L1	146 mm	87 mm	64 mm	606 g	750	n	Feb 2006	US$ 999	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic L10	135 mm	96 mm	78 mm	556 g	450	n	Aug 2007	US$ 599	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The E-300 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 47 percent) than the Digilux 3, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the E-300 offers a slightly higher resolution of 8 megapixels, compared with 7.4 MP of the Digilux 3. This megapixels advantage translates into a 4 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the E-300 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 5.30μm versus 5.51μm for the Digilux 3). Moreover, it should be noted, that the Digilux 3 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 11 months) than the E-300, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of individual pixels.

The Leica Digilux 3 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus Evolt E-300 are ISO 100 to ISO 400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-1600.

In terms of underlying technology, the Digilux 3 is build around a CMOS sensor, while the E-300 uses a CCD imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Leica Digilux 3	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	21.0	10.6	127	53
2.		Olympus E-300	Four Thirds	8.0	3264	2448	none	20.4	10.1	-40	48
3.		Canon 30D	APS-C	8.2	3504	2336	none	21.5	10.8	736	59
4.		Canon XT	APS-C	8.0	3456	2304	none	21.8	10.8	637	60
5.		Leica M8	APS-H	10.4	3936	2630	none	21.1	11.3	663	59
6.		Leica V-LUX 1	1/1.8	10.0	3648	2736	480/30p	18.4	9.5	-727	29
7.		Olympus E-1	Four Thirds	4.9	2560	1920	none	20.0	9.7	-145	44
8.		Olympus E-30	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	none	21.3	10.4	530	55
9.		Olympus E-330	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	20.8	10.4	73	52
10.		Olympus E-400	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.0	10.6	127	53
11.		Olympus E-500	Four Thirds	8.0	3264	2448	none	20.7	10.3	45	51
12.		Panasonic L1	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	20.8	10.4	80	52
13.		Panasonic L10	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.3	10.8	429	55
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The Digilux 3 and the E-300 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the E-300 has a higher magnification than the one of the Digilux 3 (0.5x vs 0.47x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Leica Digilux 3 and Olympus E-300 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Leica Digilux 3	optical	n	2.5 / 207	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
2.		Olympus E-300	optical	n	1.8 / 134	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 30D	optical	Y	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon XT	optical	n	1.8 / 115	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
5.		Leica M8	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/8000s	2.0/s	n	n
6.		Leica V-LUX 1	235	n	2.0 / 207	tilting	n	1/2000s	2.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Olympus E-1	optical	Y	1.8 / 134	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
8.		Olympus E-30	optical	Y	2.7 / 230	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Olympus E-330	optical	n	2.5 / 215	tilting	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
10.		Olympus E-400	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
11.		Olympus E-500	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
12.		Panasonic L1	optical	n	2.5 / 207	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
13.		Panasonic L10	optical	n	2.5 / 207	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The Digilux 3 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the E-300 uses Compact Flash or xD Picture cards. The E-300 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the Digilux 3 only has one slot.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Leica Digilux 3 and Olympus Evolt E-300 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Leica Digilux 3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Olympus E-300	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon 30D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon XT	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Leica M8	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Leica V-LUX 1	Y	mono / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Olympus E-1	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Olympus E-30	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Olympus E-330	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Olympus E-400	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Olympus E-500	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Panasonic L1	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Panasonic L10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-

Both the Digilux 3 and the E-300 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The E-300 was replaced by the Olympus E-330, while the Digilux 3 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the Digilux 3 and E-300 can be found, respectively, in the Leica Digilux 3 Manual (free pdf) or the online Olympus E-300 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Leica Digilux 3 better than the Olympus E-300 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Leica Digilux 3:

• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (2.5" vs 1.8") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (207k vs 134k dots).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (3 vs 2.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More prestigious: Has the Leica luxury appeal, which ensures a high resale price.
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 1 year and 11 months after the E-300).

Reasons to prefer the Olympus Evolt E-300:

• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.5x vs 0.47x).
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (47 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in September 2004).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the Digilux 3 comes out slightly ahead of the E-300 (5 : 4 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Leica Digilux 3 and the Olympus E-300 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the Digilux 3 or the E-300. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica Digilux 3	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2006	US$ 1 499	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-300	..	..	..	+	o	4.5/5	Sep 2004	US$ 799	ebay.com
3.		Canon 30D	..	+ +	..	+ +	o	..	Feb 2006	US$ 1 399	ebay.com
4.		Canon XT	..	80/100	..	+ +	o	..	Feb 2005	US$ 899	ebay.com
5.		Leica M8	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Sep 2006	US$ 5 499	ebay.com
6.		Leica V-LUX 1	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2006	US$ 849	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-1	..	..	..	+	o	..	Jun 2003	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-30	..	..	..	71/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2008	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-330	..	..	..	+	o	..	Jan 2006	US$ 999	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-400	..	85/100	..	..	4/5	4/5	Sep 2006	US$ 699	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-500	..	76/100	..	+ +	..	..	Sep 2005	US$ 599	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic L1	..	85/100	..	+	..	3.5/5	Feb 2006	US$ 999	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic L10	..	85/100	..	+	3.5/5	4/5	Aug 2007	US$ 599	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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