Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic GX8

The following is a complete review of the Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic GX8, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the VR-340 (16MP) and the GX8 (20MP) is relatively close but the VR-340 (1/2.3") and GX8 (Four Thirds) come with different sensor measurements.

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The VR-340 was released 4 years prior to the GX8 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GX8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief summation of how the VR-340 grades versus the GX8 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VR-340 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus VR-340 Gallery & Panasonic GX8 Gallery.

When you are intending to travel with your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus VR-340 has external 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) whilst the Panasonic GX8 has measurements of 133mm x 78mm x 63mm (5.2" x 3.1" x 2.5") along with a weight of 487 grams (1.07 lbs).

Examine the Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic GX8 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the VR-340 against the GX8.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VR-340 and GX8 is 96 and 74 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions purely by researching a spec sheet. The image here may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the VR-340 and GX8.

Clearly, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The VR-340 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic GX8 will render greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more aged VR-340 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.