Olympus VR-330 vs Sony A230

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus VR-330 versus Sony A230, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the VR-330 (14MP) and A230 (10MP) and the VR-330 (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The VR-330 was released 22 months later than the A230 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-330 being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a complete comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the VR-330 grades versus the A230 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VR-330 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus VR-330 Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and volume. The Olympus VR-330 has got 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) whilst the Sony A230 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VR-330 versus Sony A230 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at the time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the VR-330 compared to the A230.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the VR-330 and A230 is 94 and 69 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to see the gap between sensor measurements simply by going over specs. The photograph underneath might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-330 and A230.

All in all, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The VR-330 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Olympus VR-330 will offer extra detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The more modern VR-330 will have a benefit in sensor innovation.