Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus VG-160

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus E-M1 versus Olympus VG-160, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are built by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the VG-160 (14MP) is fairly similar but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and VG-160 (1/2.3") use different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 was unveiled 22 months later than the VG-160 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-M1 matches up vs the VG-160 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Olympus VG-160. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Olympus VG-160 Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1 comes with outside measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") along with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Olympus VG-160 has measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M1 versus Olympus VG-160 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the E-M1 versus the VG-160.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and VG-160 is 71 and 96 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be tough to imagine the difference between sensor measurements only by going over specifications. The visual below should offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 and VG-160.

To sum up, both the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 will offer more detail having an extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The fresher E-M1 should have a benefit in sensor innovation.