Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus VR-340

In this write-up, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-P3 versus Olympus VR-340, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both built by Olympus. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and VR-340 (16MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and VR-340 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-P3 was brought out 4 months before the VR-340 so they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief summary of how the E-P3 matches up versus the VR-340 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Olympus VR-340. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Olympus VR-340 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P3 enjoys outside dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) whilst the Olympus VR-340 has dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-P3 versus Olympus VR-340 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the E-P3 vs the VR-340.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and VR-340 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to envision the difference between sensor dimensions purely by reading through a spec sheet. The image below will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P3 and VR-340.

Clearly, both of those cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-P3 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Olympus VR-340 will give you more detail having its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures a little more aggressively.