Olympus VR-330 vs Panasonic S5

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus VR-330 versus Panasonic S5, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the VR-330 (14MP) and S5 (24MP) and the VR-330 (1/2.3") and S5 (Full frame) posses different sensor sizes.

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The VR-330 was revealed 10 years prior to the S5 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-330 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the VR-330 matches up against the S5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VR-330 & Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The full galleries are available at Olympus VR-330 Gallery & Panasonic S5 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus VR-330 features exterior measurements of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S5 has specifications of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

See the Olympus VR-330 versus Panasonic S5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising during that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the VR-330 against the S5.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the VR-330 and S5 is 94 and 60 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizes merely by going through specs. The picture below should give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the VR-330 and S5.

All in all, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The VR-330 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh more challenging and the Panasonic S5 will show greater detail because of its extra 10MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged VR-330 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.