Olympus VG-160 vs Sony RX100 V

In this article, we will be matching up the Olympus VG-160 and Sony RX100 V, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the image resolutions of the VG-160 (14MP) and RX100 V (20MP) and the VG-160 (1/2.3") and RX100 V (1") enjoy different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The VG-160 was revealed 5 years before the RX100 V which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 V being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a short summary of how the VG-160 matches up versus the RX100 V for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VG-160 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V. The full galleries are available at Olympus VG-160 Gallery and Sony RX100 V Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera often, you need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus VG-160 enjoys external 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 Sony RX100 V has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") along with a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

Examine the Olympus VG-160 and Sony RX100 V in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the VG-160 versus the RX100 V.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VG-160 and RX100 V is 96 and 89 respectively.

Typically, its tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizes just by viewing a spec sheet. The image below will offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the VG-160 and RX100 V.

As you can see, the two cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The VG-160 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony RX100 V will provide you with more detail because of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more aged VG-160 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.