Olympus VG-160 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus VG-160 versus Sigma SD1 Merrill, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the VG-160 (14MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is pretty similar but the VG-160 (1/2.3") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) possess totally different sensor measurements.

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The VG-160 was released 3 months earlier than the SD1 Merrill which means that they are of a similar age. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the VG-160 scores against the SD1 Merrill with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VG-160 & Sigma SD1 Merrill. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus VG-160 Gallery & Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

If you're planning to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus VG-160 has physical dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sigma SD1 Merrill has measurements of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") and a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

Compare the Olympus VG-160 versus Sigma SD1 Merrill in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the VG-160 against the SD1 Merrill.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VG-160 and SD1 Merrill is 96 and 57 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to envision the contrast between sensor dimensions only by reading technical specs. The picture underneath will give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-160 and SD1 Merrill.

As you have seen, the two cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The VG-160 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will offer you more detail as a result of its extra 1MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a little more aggressively.