Olympus VR-320 vs Pentax Q7

The following is a thorough assessment of the Olympus VR-320 and Pentax Q7, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the VR-320 (14MP) and the Q7 (12MP) is fairly close but the VR-320 (1/2.3") and Q7 (1/1.7") feature totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The VR-320 was revealed 3 years prior to the Q7 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VR-320 being a Compact camera and the Pentax Q7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a simple view of how the VR-320 scores versus the Q7 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VR-320 and Pentax Q7. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus VR-320 Gallery and Pentax Q7 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus VR-320 has outer dimensions of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Pentax Q7 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VR-320 and Pentax Q7 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the VR-320 vs the Q7.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VR-320 and Q7 is 94 and 92 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions merely by researching technical specs. The image underneath should provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the VR-320 and Q7.

As you can tell, both of those cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The VR-320 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Olympus VR-320 will result in greater detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged VR-320 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.