Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus VR-320

The following is a extended analysis of the Olympus E-M5 and Olympus VR-320, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are designed by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the VR-320 (14MP) is very similar but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and VR-320 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor size.

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The E-M5 was announced 10 months after the VR-320 so they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VR-320 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a in depth comparison, below is a quick summary of how the E-M5 grades vs the VR-320 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Olympus VR-320. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 Gallery and Olympus VR-320 Gallery.

If you are aiming to travel with your camera often, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 offers outer dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Olympus VR-320 has specifications of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M5 and Olympus VR-320 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M5 vs the VR-320.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and VR-320 is 81 and 94 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is tough to see the gap between sensor dimensions purely by reviewing technical specs. The image below will help give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 and VR-320.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-M5 will offer you greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos far more aggressively. The fresher E-M5 will have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.