Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus VR-320

The following is a thorough analysis of the Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus VR-320, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are created by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the VR-320 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and VR-320 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL5 was introduced 15 months after the VR-320 making them a generation away from one another. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VR-320 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-PL5 grades against the VR-320 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Olympus VR-320. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Olympus VR-320 Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL5 comes with external measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Olympus VR-320 has specifications of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus VR-320 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL5 and the VR-320.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and VR-320 is 88 and 94 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to envision the gap in sensor dimensions simply by seeing specifications. The image here will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and VR-320.

Plainly, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL5 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL5 will produce extra detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-PL5 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.