Olympus VR-330 vs Panasonic GF3

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus VR-330 vs Panasonic GF3, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the VR-330 (14MP) and the GF3 (12MP) is very similar but the VR-330 (1/2.3") and GF3 (Four Thirds) provide different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The VR-330 was introduced 6 months prior to the GF3 and they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-330 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GF3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the VR-330 grades versus the GF3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-330 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VR-330 Gallery & Panasonic GF3 Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera often, you have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VR-330 comes with exterior 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 Panasonic GF3 has dimensions of 108mm x 67mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 264 grams (0.58 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VR-330 vs Panasonic GF3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at the time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the VR-330 compared to the GF3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VR-330 and GF3 is 94 and 90 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions purely by reviewing specifications. The picture here will help give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-330 and GF3.

Plainly, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The VR-330 with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Olympus VR-330 will offer you more detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a bit more aggressively.