Olympus E-330 vs Sony RX100 VA

Here is a extended overview of the Olympus E-330 and Sony RX100 VA, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the E-330 (7MP) and RX100 VA (20MP) and the E-330 (Four Thirds) and RX100 VA (1") use totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-330 was manufactured 13 years earlier than the RX100 VA and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-330 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony RX100 VA being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go in to a more detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-330 matches up against the RX100 VA in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-330 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A). The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-330 Gallery and Sony RX100 VA Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera, you'll need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-330 enjoys physical measurements of 140mm x 87mm x 72mm (5.5" x 3.4" x 2.8") having a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) and the Sony RX100 VA has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") along with a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

See the Olympus E-330 and Sony RX100 VA in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you choose at that time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-330 versus the RX100 VA.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-330 and RX100 VA is 65 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to see the difference between sensor sizing only by checking technical specs. The photograph below may provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-330 and RX100 VA.

As you have seen, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-330 because of its bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Sony RX100 VA will resolve more detail due to its extra 13MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older E-330 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.