Olympus E-420 vs Olympus VR-340

Here, we are contrasting the Olympus E-420 and Olympus VR-340, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are built by Olympus. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and VR-340 (16MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and VR-340 (1/2.3") provide different sensor size.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The E-420 was brought out 4 years earlier than the VR-340 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-420 matches up against the VR-340 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-420 and Olympus VR-340. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Olympus VR-340 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-420 enjoys physical dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Olympus VR-340 has proportions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-420 and Olympus VR-340 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-420 against the VR-340.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and VR-340 is 77 and 96 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to picture the gap between sensor sizes merely by reading specs. The picture below may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-420 and VR-340.

All in all, the two cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-420 featuring a larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus VR-340 will deliver more detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-420 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.