Olympus E-P2 vs Olympus VG-160

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-P2 versus Olympus VG-160, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are offered by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-P2 (12MP) and the VG-160 (14MP) is pretty similar but the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and VG-160 (1/2.3") have different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-P2 was introduced 20 months before the VG-160 which makes them a generation away from each other. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-P2 grades against the VG-160 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P2 and Olympus VG-160. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-P2 Gallery and Olympus VG-160 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P2 enjoys outside measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") along with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Olympus VG-160 has sizing of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-P2 versus Olympus VG-160 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-P2 compared to the VG-160.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-P2 and VG-160 is 86 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to picture the contrast between sensor sizes only by reading a spec sheet. The image underneath should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P2 and VG-160.

Clearly, the two cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-P2 using its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Olympus VG-160 will offer extra detail using its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged E-P2 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.