Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic FS42

Let's look more in depth at the Olympus VR-340 versus Panasonic FS42, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the VR-340 (16MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the VR-340 (1/2.3") and FS42 (1/2.5") have totally different sensor sizes.

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The VR-340 was announced 2 years later than the FS42 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple overview of how the VR-340 scores vs the FS42 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus VR-340 Gallery and Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus VR-340 has outer dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Panasonic FS42 has sizing of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Compare the Olympus VR-340 versus Panasonic FS42 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you use at that moment. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the VR-340 and the FS42.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the VR-340 and FS42 is 96 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to envision the difference in sensor measurements purely by seeing specifications. The photograph here may give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the VR-340 and FS42.

To sum up, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The VR-340 with its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus VR-340 will produce greater detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics more aggressively. The newer VR-340 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.