Olympus VH-410 vs Sony A230

Here, we are evaluating the Olympus VH-410 and Sony A230, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the VH-410 (16MP) and A230 (10MP) and the VH-410 (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The VH-410 was introduced 3 years after the A230 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VH-410 being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the VH-410 scores vs the A230 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VH-410 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus VH-410 Gallery and Sony A230 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera regularly, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus VH-410 provides external measurements of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") with a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Sony A230 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Compare the Olympus VH-410 and Sony A230 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the VH-410 and the A230.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the VH-410 and A230 is 95 and 69 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to imagine the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading through a spec sheet. The picture here should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the VH-410 and A230.

Clearly, the 2 cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The VH-410 using its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Olympus VH-410 will give greater detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more recent VH-410 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.