Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus VG-120

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus VG-120, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Ultracompact and both are produced by Olympus. The resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the VG-120 (14MP) is fairly similar but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and VG-120 (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 was announced 2 years after the VG-120 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VG-120 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief summary of how the E-M1 matches up against the VG-120 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Olympus VG-120. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Olympus VG-120 Gallery.

In case you're going to travel with your camera, you'll have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 features exterior dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") and a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Olympus VG-120 has specifications of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus VG-120 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-M1 against the VG-120.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and VG-120 is 71 and 96 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions just by reviewing a spec sheet. The pic below might give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and VG-120.

As you can see, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M1 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Olympus E-M1 will offer more detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The newer E-M1 should have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.