Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic GF2

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus VR-340 versus Panasonic GF2, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the VR-340 (16MP) and GF2 (12MP) and the VR-340 (1/2.3") and GF2 (Four Thirds) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The VR-340 was released 11 months after the GF2 so they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GF2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight into a complete comparison, below is a concise overview of how the VR-340 grades vs the GF2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus VR-340 Gallery and Panasonic GF2 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera, you will need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus VR-340 has outside measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Panasonic GF2 has sizing of 113mm x 68mm x 33mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 310 grams (0.68 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus VR-340 versus Panasonic GF2 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at the time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the VR-340 vs the GF2.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the VR-340 and GF2 is 96 and 88 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions only by reviewing a spec sheet. The picture below should provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the VR-340 and GF2.

As you can see, both cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The VR-340 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Olympus VR-340 will offer extra detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more recent VR-340 should have an edge in sensor tech.