Olympus E-510 vs Olympus VR-340

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-510 versus Olympus VR-340, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are sold by Olympus. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and VR-340 (16MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and VR-340 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-510 was introduced 5 years prior to the VR-340 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-510 grades versus the VR-340 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-510 and Olympus VR-340. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Olympus VR-340 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-510 has got external dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Olympus VR-340 has proportions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-510 versus Olympus VR-340 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select at that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-510 against the VR-340.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-510 and VR-340 is 69 and 96 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to visualise the difference in sensor measurements just by seeing specifications. The graphic below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-510 and VR-340.

To sum up, the 2 cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-510 using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus VR-340 will show extra detail using its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older E-510 will be behind in sensor technology.