Olympus VR-330 vs Sony A100

In this write-up, we are reviewing the Olympus VR-330 and Sony A100, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the VR-330 (14MP) and A100 (10MP) and the VR-330 (1/2.3") and A100 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizing.

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The VR-330 was manufactured 4 years later than the A100 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VR-330 being a Compact camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the VR-330 grades against the A100 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VR-330 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The entire galleries are available at Olympus VR-330 Gallery & Sony A100 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera often, you have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus VR-330 features outside dimensions of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Sony A100 has sizing of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus VR-330 and Sony A100 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising during that time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the VR-330 against the A100.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VR-330 and A100 is 94 and 64 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to picture the gap between sensor measurements only by reading specs. The graphic below should give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the VR-330 and A100.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The VR-330 because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Olympus VR-330 will deliver more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The fresher VR-330 provides a benefit in sensor innovation.