Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic FZ1000

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus VR-340 versus Panasonic FZ1000, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the VR-340 (16MP) and the FZ1000 (20MP) is relatively well matched but the VR-340 (1/2.3") and FZ1000 (1") posses different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The VR-340 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the FZ1000 which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a concise overview of how the VR-340 matches up versus the FZ1000 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VR-340 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000. The full galleries are available at Olympus VR-340 Gallery & Panasonic FZ1000 Gallery.

If you are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VR-340 offers exterior dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ1000 has dimensions of 137mm x 99mm x 131mm (5.4" x 3.9" x 5.2") accompanied by a weight of 831 grams (1.83 lbs).

See the Olympus VR-340 versus Panasonic FZ1000 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the VR-340 against the FZ1000.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VR-340 and FZ1000 is 96 and 55 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to picture the gap between sensor dimensions simply by reading through specifications. The image below will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-340 and FZ1000.

Plainly, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The VR-340 with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Panasonic FZ1000 will resolve extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures more aggressively. The more aged VR-340 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.