Olympus VH-515 vs Sony QX1

Here is a extended review of the Olympus VH-515 and Sony QX1, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Lens-style by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the VH-515 (12MP) and QX1 (20MP) and the VH-515 (1/2.3") and QX1 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The VH-515 was announced 24 months prior to the QX1 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Sony QX1 being a Lens-style camera.

Before we go straight into a full comparison, below is a simple overview of how the VH-515 matches up against the QX1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VH-515 & Sony Alpha QX1. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus VH-515 Gallery & Sony QX1 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry your camera, you will need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus VH-515 comes with outside dimensions of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") with a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) while the Sony QX1 has sizing of 74mm x 70mm x 53mm (2.9" x 2.8" x 2.1") along with a weight of 216 grams (0.48 lbs).

See the Olympus VH-515 and Sony QX1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use during that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the VH-515 vs the QX1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the VH-515 and QX1 is 95 and 90 respectively.

Often, it is tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizing just by seeing specs. The graphic here should give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the VH-515 and QX1.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The VH-515 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony QX1 will produce more detail with its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos much more aggressively. The older VH-515 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.