Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic LZ30

Below is a extensive assessment of the Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic LZ30, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the VR-340 (16MP) and the LZ30 (16MP) is very close and both cameras have the identical sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The VR-340 was announced 12 months prior to the LZ30 so they are both of a similar generation. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LZ30 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going into a thorough comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the VR-340 scores versus the LZ30 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VR-340 Gallery and Panasonic LZ30 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and size. The Olympus VR-340 provides exterior dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Panasonic LZ30 has specifications of 124mm x 84mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic LZ30 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the VR-340 vs the LZ30.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the VR-340 and LZ30 is 96 and 66 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to visualize the difference in sensor measurements only by viewing specs. The visual underneath may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-340 and LZ30.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras come with the identical sensor size and the same exact resolution so you should expect comparable quality of pictures but you have to factor the production date of the cameras into account. The older VR-340 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.