Olympus VG-160 vs Sony RX1R

Following is a in depth assessment of the Olympus VG-160 vs Sony RX1R, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the VG-160 (14MP) and RX1R (24MP) and the VG-160 (1/2.3") and RX1R (Full frame) provide totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The VG-160 was released 17 months earlier than the RX1R which makes them a generation away from one another. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX1R being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief view of how the VG-160 scores versus the RX1R in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VG-160 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R. The complete galleries are available at Olympus VG-160 Gallery and Sony RX1R Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus VG-160 enjoys physical measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Sony RX1R has measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") with a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Examine the Olympus VG-160 vs Sony RX1R in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the VG-160 and the RX1R.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VG-160 and RX1R is 96 and 79 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to see the difference in sensor sizes purely by checking out specs. The picture here will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the VG-160 and RX1R.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The VG-160 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Sony RX1R will show extra detail as a result of its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots way more aggressively. The more aged VG-160 will be behind in sensor technology.