Olympus VR-330 vs Panasonic GX9

The following is a extended review of the Olympus VR-330 and Panasonic GX9, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap between the resolutions of the VR-330 (14MP) and GX9 (20MP) and the VR-330 (1/2.3") and GX9 (Four Thirds) offer totally different sensor size.

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The VR-330 was launched 8 years earlier than the GX9 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-330 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GX9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the VR-330 matches up against the GX9 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-330 and Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9. The complete galleries are available at Olympus VR-330 Gallery and Panasonic GX9 Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus VR-330 offers exterior dimensions of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Panasonic GX9 has measurements of 124mm x 72mm x 47mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.9") and a weight of 407 grams (0.90 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus VR-330 and Panasonic GX9 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the VR-330 compared to the GX9.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VR-330 and GX9 is 94 and 82 respectively.

Normally, its hard to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions merely by going over technical specs. The pic underneath will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-330 and GX9.

As you can tell, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The VR-330 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Panasonic GX9 will offer you more detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged VR-330 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.