Olympus E-P1 vs Olympus VR-320

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-P1 vs Olympus VR-320, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are designed by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the VR-320 (14MP) is pretty similar but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and VR-320 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was brought out 24 months prior to the VR-320 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VR-320 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-P1 scores against the VR-320 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Olympus VR-320. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Olympus VR-320 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P1 provides physical dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") along with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Olympus VR-320 has proportions of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P1 vs Olympus VR-320 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Below is a front view size comparison of the E-P1 compared to the VR-320.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and VR-320 is 86 and 94 respectively.

Usually, it is very hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing merely by reviewing specs. The visual underneath will give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and VR-320.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-P1 due to its bigger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh simpler and the Olympus VR-320 will offer you more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-P1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.