Olympus VG-160 vs Sony A330

Here is a thorough comparison of the Olympus VG-160 versus Sony A330, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the VG-160 (14MP) and A330 (10MP) and the VG-160 (1/2.3") and A330 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The VG-160 was unveiled 2 years later than the A330 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Sony A330 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a short highlight of how the VG-160 scores vs the A330 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VG-160 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A330. The full galleries are available at Olympus VG-160 Gallery & Sony A330 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera often, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VG-160 has got external dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sony A330 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 529 grams (1.17 lbs).

See the Olympus VG-160 versus Sony A330 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at that moment. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the VG-160 against the A330.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the VG-160 and A330 is 96 and 67 respectively.

Often, it is very hard to see the difference between sensor sizing simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The graphic below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-160 and A330.

Clearly, the 2 cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The VG-160 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF harder and the Olympus VG-160 will offer you more detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The newer VG-160 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.