Olympus VG-160 vs Sony RX100

The following is a thorough overview of the Olympus VG-160 vs Sony RX100, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap between the sensor resolutions of the VG-160 (14MP) and RX100 (20MP) and the VG-160 (1/2.3") and RX100 (1") have totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The VG-160 was introduced 7 months earlier than the RX100 and they are of a similar age. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going right into a detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the VG-160 matches up vs the RX100 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VG-160 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VG-160 Gallery & Sony RX100 Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera, you will have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VG-160 offers physical measurements 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 RX100 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Compare the Olympus VG-160 vs Sony RX100 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at that moment. The following is a front view size comparison of the VG-160 vs the RX100.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VG-160 and RX100 is 96 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions simply by reading specifications. The picture underneath may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the VG-160 and RX100.

Plainly, both the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The VG-160 having a tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony RX100 will offer greater detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged VG-160 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.