Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic FZ40

Following is a in depth review of the Olympus VR-340 versus Panasonic FZ40, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the VR-340 (16MP) and the FZ40 (14MP) is relatively close and both cameras provide the same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The VR-340 was announced 18 months after the FZ40 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the VR-340 matches up against the FZ40 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus VR-340 Gallery and Panasonic FZ40 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus VR-340 offers physical 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 FZ40 has sizing of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") and a weight of 494 grams (1.09 lbs).

Compare the Olympus VR-340 versus Panasonic FZ40 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the VR-340 against the FZ40.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VR-340 and FZ40 is 96 and 68 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to envision the gap in sensor sizes just by researching specs. The image underneath will provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the VR-340 and FZ40.

All in all, both of those cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same MP. You should count on the Olympus VR-340 to provide you with greater detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more modern VR-340 will have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.