Olympus VR-320 vs Sony NEX-5

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus VR-320 and Sony NEX-5, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the VR-320 (14MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the VR-320 (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) possess different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The VR-320 was unveiled 14 months after the NEX-5 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VR-320 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick view of how the VR-320 grades against the NEX-5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VR-320 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The full galleries are provided at Olympus VR-320 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus VR-320 offers external 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 Sony NEX-5 has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus VR-320 and Sony NEX-5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the VR-320 compared to the NEX-5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VR-320 and NEX-5 is 94 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions purely by seeing a spec sheet. The image here will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-320 and NEX-5.

As you can see, each of the cameras offer the same exact megapixels albeit different sensor dimensions. The VR-320 contains the smaller sensor which is going to make obtaining bokeh harder. The more modern VR-320 provides an advantage in sensor technology.