Olympus VH-515 vs Sony RX10

Below is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus VH-515 versus Sony RX10, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the VH-515 (12MP) and RX10 (20MP) and the VH-515 (1/2.3") and RX10 (1") boast totally different sensor sizing.

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The VH-515 was released 19 months before the RX10 making them a generation apart from one another. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going right into a complete comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the VH-515 scores versus the RX10 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VH-515 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus VH-515 Gallery and Sony RX10 Gallery.

If you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus VH-515 provides outside dimensions of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") having a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Sony RX10 has proportions of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") along with a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

Check out the Olympus VH-515 versus Sony RX10 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the VH-515 vs the RX10.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VH-515 and RX10 is 95 and 58 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to see the contrast in sensor measurements just by looking through specs. The graphic here should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the VH-515 and RX10.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The VH-515 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF harder and the Sony RX10 will provide you with more detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older VH-515 will be behind in sensor technology.