Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic L1

Let's look closer at the Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic L1, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the VR-340 (16MP) and L1 (7MP) and the VR-340 (1/2.3") and L1 (Four Thirds) posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The VR-340 was brought out 4 years after the L1 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic L1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving into a in depth comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the VR-340 matches up vs the L1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus VR-340 Gallery and Panasonic L1 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera, you will need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus VR-340 has got physical 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 L1 has sizing of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") with a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic L1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the VR-340 vs the L1.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VR-340 and L1 is 96 and 65 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes simply by looking through a spec sheet. The pic underneath should offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the VR-340 and L1.

Clearly, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The VR-340 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Olympus VR-340 will render more detail having its extra 9MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The newer VR-340 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.