Olympus VG-160 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill

In this article, we are looking at the Olympus VG-160 and Sigma DP3 Merrill, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sigma. The image resolution of the VG-160 (14MP) and the DP3 Merrill (15MP) is fairly close but the VG-160 (1/2.3") and DP3 Merrill (APS-C) come with different sensor measurements.

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The VG-160 was introduced 12 months earlier than the DP3 Merrill which means that they are of a similar age. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving through a full comparison, below is a short introduction of how the VG-160 grades versus the DP3 Merrill in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-160 & Sigma DP3 Merrill. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus VG-160 Gallery & Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera, you will want to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus VG-160 provides physical measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Sigma DP3 Merrill has measurements of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") with a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus VG-160 and Sigma DP3 Merrill in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the VG-160 against the DP3 Merrill.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VG-160 and DP3 Merrill is 96 and 83 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions purely by researching specs. The pic below will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the VG-160 and DP3 Merrill.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The VG-160 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sigma DP3 Merrill will provide you with extra detail using its extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics a little more aggressively. The more aged VG-160 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.