Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus VR-340

On this page, we are matching up the Olympus E-PL5 versus Olympus VR-340, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are offered by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the VR-340 (16MP) is fairly close but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and VR-340 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL5 was released 9 months later than the VR-340 and they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a in depth comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-PL5 grades vs the VR-340 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Olympus VR-340. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Olympus VR-340 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL5 comes with physical measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Olympus VR-340 has specifications of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL5 versus Olympus VR-340 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen during that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL5 vs the VR-340.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and VR-340 is 88 and 96 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to see the contrast in sensor measurements just by researching technical specs. The photograph underneath might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and VR-340.

As you can tell, each of the cameras provide the same megapixels but not the same sensor measurements. The E-PL5 uses the larger sensor which should make achieving shallow DOF simpler. The newer E-PL5 will have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.