Olympus VR-320 vs Sony A550
94 Imaging
37 Features
35 Overall
36
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63 Imaging
53 Features
65 Overall
57
Olympus VR-320 vs Sony A550 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 24-300mm (F3.0-5.9) lens
- 158g - 101 x 58 x 29mm
- Announced July 2011
- Later Model is Olympus VR-330
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 632g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Released December 2009
- Superseded the Sony A100
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Olympus VR-320 vs Sony A550 Overview
Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus VR-320 and Sony A550, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the VR-320 (14MP) and the A550 (14MP) is very close but the VR-320 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.
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The VR-320 was unveiled 20 months later than the A550 making them a generation apart from each other. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VR-320 being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short highlight of how the VR-320 scores versus the A550 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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Olympus VR-320 vs Sony A550 Gallery
Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-320 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The full galleries are available at Olympus VR-320 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus VR-320 over the Sony A550
VR-320 | A550 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | July 2011 | ![]() | December 2009 | More recent by 20 months |
Reasons to pick Sony A550 over the Olympus VR-320
A550 | VR-320 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very accurate focus | ||
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display resolution | 922k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper display (+692k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus VR-320 and Sony A550
VR-320 | A550 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same display measurement |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Lacking Touch friendly display |
Olympus VR-320 vs Sony A550 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is going to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus VR-320 comes with outside dimensions of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Sony A550 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).
Look at the Olympus VR-320 and Sony A550 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the VR-320 compared to the A550.
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Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the VR-320 and A550 is 94 and 63 respectively.
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Olympus VR-320 vs Sony A550 Sensor Comparison
Usually, it's hard to envision the difference in sensor measurements only by looking through specs. The visual underneath will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-320 and A550.
All in all, the two cameras come with the identical MP but not the same sensor measurements. The VR-320 has the smaller sensor which should make getting bokeh more challenging. The fresher VR-320 will have an edge in sensor innovation.
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Olympus VR-320 vs Sony A550 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Olympus VR-320 vs Sony A550 Specifications
Olympus VR-320 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus VR-320 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 |
Type | Small Sensor Superzoom | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2011-07-19 | 2009-12-09 |
Body design | Compact | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | TruePic III | Bionz |
Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 365.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4288 x 3216 | 4592 x 3056 |
Max native ISO | 1600 | 12800 |
Minimum native ISO | 80 | 200 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | - | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Lens focal range | 24-300mm (12.5x) | - |
Maximal aperture | f/3.0-5.9 | - |
Macro focus distance | 1cm | - |
Available lenses | - | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Screen diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Screen resolution | 230k dot | 922k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Screen tech | TFT Color LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.53x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 4 secs | 30 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | - | 7.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 4.70 m | 12.00 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | - | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30, 15fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15fps) | - |
Max video resolution | 1280x720 | None |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | - |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 158 grams (0.35 pounds) | 632 grams (1.39 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 101 x 58 x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | 66 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 21.9 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 11.8 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 807 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 480 photographs |
Battery format | - | Battery Pack |
Battery model | LI-42B | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Launch price | $179 | $749 |