Olympus VR-320 vs Panasonic GM5

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus VR-320 vs Panasonic GM5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the VR-320 (14MP) and the GM5 (16MP) is very similar but the VR-320 (1/2.3") and GM5 (Four Thirds) boast different sensor sizing.

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The VR-320 was announced 4 years earlier than the GM5 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-320 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GM5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the VR-320 scores vs the GM5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-320 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VR-320 Gallery & Panasonic GM5 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus VR-320 provides outside measurements of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Panasonic GM5 has measurements of 99mm x 60mm x 36mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.4") and a weight of 211 grams (0.47 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus VR-320 vs Panasonic GM5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at the time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the VR-320 vs the GM5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VR-320 and GM5 is 94 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to picture the contrast between sensor sizing simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The visual here may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the VR-320 and GM5.

As you can see, both the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The VR-320 having a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Panasonic GM5 will offer more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older VR-320 is going to be behind in sensor tech.