Olympus VH-515 vs Sony RX1R II

Here, we will be reviewing the Olympus VH-515 and Sony RX1R II, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the image resolutions of the VH-515 (12MP) and RX1R II (42MP) and the VH-515 (1/2.3") and RX1R II (Full frame) offer different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The VH-515 was manufactured 4 years earlier than the RX1R II and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX1R II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a concise overview of how the VH-515 matches up against the RX1R II in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VH-515 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus VH-515 Gallery and Sony RX1R II Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera often, you should think about its weight and volume. The Olympus VH-515 offers 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 RX1R II has sizing of 113mm x 65mm x 72mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") along with a weight of 507 grams (1.12 lbs).

Examine the Olympus VH-515 and Sony RX1R II in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using during that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the VH-515 against the RX1R II.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VH-515 and RX1R II is 95 and 78 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizing just by going over specs. The graphic below may give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the VH-515 and RX1R II.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The VH-515 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony RX1R II will offer you extra detail due to its extra 30 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older VH-515 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.