Olympus VG-110 vs Sony HX5

Below is a comprehensive review of the Olympus VG-110 versus Sony HX5, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the VG-110 (12MP) and the HX5 (10MP) is fairly well matched but the VG-110 (1/2.3") and HX5 (1/2.4") come with different sensor dimensions.

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The VG-110 was manufactured 8 months later than the HX5 and they are both of a similar generation. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VG-110 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony HX5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a more detailed comparison, below is a short introduction of how the VG-110 scores against the HX5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-110 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The entire galleries are available at Olympus VG-110 Gallery and Sony HX5 Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera often, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus VG-110 has external measurements of 92mm x 54mm x 20mm (3.6" x 2.1" x 0.8") and a weight of 105 grams (0.23 lbs) while the Sony HX5 has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus VG-110 versus Sony HX5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have during that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the VG-110 vs the HX5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the VG-110 and HX5 is 97 and 92 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to visualize the gap between sensor measurements only by checking a spec sheet. The photograph below may give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the VG-110 and HX5.

Clearly, each of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The VG-110 because of its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus VG-110 will give you more detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos a little more aggressively. The newer VG-110 provides an advantage in sensor tech.