Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus VR-340

On this page, we are contrasting the Olympus E-PL8 versus Olympus VR-340, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are offered by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the VR-340 (16MP) is very well matched but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and VR-340 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was manufactured 4 years later than the VR-340 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a in depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-PL8 matches up versus the VR-340 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Olympus VR-340. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Olympus VR-340 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera often, you should think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL8 provides outside measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") along with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Olympus VR-340 has measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL8 versus Olympus VR-340 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have at that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL8 compared to the VR-340.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and VR-340 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to see the difference between sensor measurements just by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic below may offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL8 and VR-340.

As you can see, the two cameras provide the same megapixels but not the same sensor measurements. The E-PL8 includes the larger sensor which will make achieving shallow DOF less difficult. The newer E-PL8 will have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.