Olympus VG-160 vs Panasonic G1

Lets look more closely at the Olympus VG-160 versus Panasonic G1, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the VG-160 (14MP) and the G1 (12MP) is very similar but the VG-160 (1/2.3") and G1 (Four Thirds) posses different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The VG-160 was introduced 3 years after the G1 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic G1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a simple overview of how the VG-160 scores versus the G1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VG-160 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VG-160 Gallery & Panasonic G1 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera often, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus VG-160 enjoys outside measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Panasonic G1 has specifications of 124mm x 84mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") having a weight of 360 grams (0.79 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus VG-160 versus Panasonic G1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the VG-160 versus the G1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VG-160 and G1 is 96 and 82 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to picture the gap between sensor sizes only by going over technical specs. The image below might provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the VG-160 and G1.

As you have seen, both of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The VG-160 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Olympus VG-160 will offer you more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos way more aggressively. The fresher VG-160 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.