Olympus VR-320 vs Panasonic G1

The following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus VR-320 and Panasonic G1, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the VR-320 (14MP) and the G1 (12MP) is relatively similar but the VR-320 (1/2.3") and G1 (Four Thirds) feature different sensor size.

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The VR-320 was brought out 2 years after the G1 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VR-320 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic G1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the VR-320 matches up versus the G1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VR-320 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus VR-320 Gallery and Panasonic G1 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera often, you need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus VR-320 offers outer dimensions of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Panasonic G1 has proportions of 124mm x 84mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") and a weight of 360 grams (0.79 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus VR-320 and Panasonic G1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have at the time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the VR-320 versus the G1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VR-320 and G1 is 94 and 82 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to picture the gap between sensor dimensions only by reading technical specs. The pic below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-320 and G1.

As you can tell, both cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The VR-320 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus VR-320 will deliver more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots far more aggressively. The newer VR-320 provides an advantage in sensor innovation.