Olympus VR-320 vs Sony HX1

On this page, we will be evaluating the Olympus VR-320 and Sony HX1, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the VR-320 (14MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the VR-320 (1/2.3") and HX1 (1/2.4") posses different sensor sizes.

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The VR-320 was brought out 2 years later than the HX1 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-320 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go straight to a full comparison, here is a short introduction of how the VR-320 scores against the HX1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VR-320 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The entire galleries are available at Olympus VR-320 Gallery & Sony HX1 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VR-320 has got 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) whilst the Sony HX1 has dimensions of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") with a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus VR-320 and Sony HX1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the VR-320 against the HX1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VR-320 and HX1 is 94 and 67 respectively.

Typically, it can be difficult to picture the difference in sensor measurements just by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic below may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-320 and HX1.

As you can see, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The VR-320 due to its bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh simpler and the Olympus VR-320 will render extra detail having its extra 5MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots more aggressively. The more recent VR-320 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.