Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic FZ2500

Below, we will be evaluating the Olympus VR-340 versus Panasonic FZ2500, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the VR-340 (16MP) and the FZ2500 (20MP) is pretty close but the VR-340 (1/2.3") and FZ2500 (1") enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The VR-340 was launched 5 years before the FZ2500 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ2500 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving through a full comparison, below is a simple summary of how the VR-340 scores vs the FZ2500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus VR-340 Gallery and Panasonic FZ2500 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus VR-340 offers physical measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ2500 has measurements of 138mm x 102mm x 135mm (5.4" x 4.0" x 5.3") with a weight of 915 grams (2.02 lbs).

Check out the Olympus VR-340 versus Panasonic FZ2500 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is the front view size comparison of the VR-340 against the FZ2500.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VR-340 and FZ2500 is 96 and 53 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to envision the difference in sensor sizing purely by looking through specifications. The visual below should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the VR-340 and FZ2500.

To sum up, both cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The VR-340 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Panasonic FZ2500 will render more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The older VR-340 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.