Olympus VR-330 vs Sony TX30

In this article, we are reviewing the Olympus VR-330 versus Sony TX30, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the image resolutions of the VR-330 (14MP) and TX30 (18MP) but they use the same exact sensor size (1/2.3").

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The VR-330 was revealed 3 years before the TX30 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VR-330 being a Compact camera and the Sony TX30 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going through a thorough comparison, below is a short introduction of how the VR-330 scores against the TX30 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-330 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX30. The full galleries are provided at Olympus VR-330 Gallery and Sony TX30 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VR-330 comes with external measurements of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Sony TX30 has dimensions of 96mm x 59mm x 15mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.6") accompanied by a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus VR-330 versus Sony TX30 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the VR-330 versus the TX30.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VR-330 and TX30 is 94 and 96 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to see the gap in sensor sizes merely by viewing a spec sheet. The image below might offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the VR-330 and TX30.

As you can see, the 2 cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Sony TX30 to render greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will let you crop pics far more aggressively. The more aged VR-330 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.