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Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic XS1

Portability
96
Imaging
39
Features
36
Overall
37
Olympus VR-340 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1 front
Portability
97
Imaging
40
Features
26
Overall
34

Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic XS1 Key Specs

Olympus VR-340
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 24-240mm (F3.0-5.7) lens
  • 125g - 96 x 57 x 19mm
  • Launched January 2012
Panasonic XS1
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 24-120mm (F2.8-6.9) lens
  • 103g - 94 x 54 x 14mm
  • Launched January 2013
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Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic XS1 Overview

Let's examine more in depth at the Olympus VR-340 versus Panasonic XS1, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the VR-340 (16MP) and the XS1 (16MP) is relatively comparable and they possess the exact same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The VR-340 was released 12 months earlier than the XS1 and they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving straight into a full comparison, below is a brief summary of how the VR-340 scores versus the XS1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus VR-340 over the Panasonic XS1

 VR-340 XS1 
Screen dimension3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution460k230kCrisper screen (+230k dot)

Reasons to pick Panasonic XS1 over the Olympus VR-340

 XS1 VR-340 
LaunchedJanuary 2013January 2012Newer by 12 months

Common features in the Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic XS1

 VR-340 XS1 
Focus manually Lack of manual focus
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch screen Neither has Touch screen

Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic XS1 Physical Comparison

In case you're going to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus VR-340 has 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) while the Panasonic XS1 has specifications of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") having a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Check out the Olympus VR-340 versus Panasonic XS1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the VR-340 compared to the XS1.

Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic XS1 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VR-340 and XS1 is 96 and 97 respectively.

Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic XS1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic XS1 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it's difficult to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions purely by seeing specifications. The picture below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the VR-340 and XS1.

Plainly, both of these cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements and the same megapixels and you should expect comparable quality of photos though you really should take the production date of the cameras into account. The more aged VR-340 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic XS1 sensor size comparison

Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic XS1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic XS1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus VR-340 Portrait photography factors
Panasonic XS1 Portrait photography factors
34
decent MP (16 megapixels)
features face detection autofocus
no manual focus
lack of manual exposure
no external flash support
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
30
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
lack of manual focus
manual exposure not possible
no external flash support
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus VR-340
Street photography with Panasonic XS1
63
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than average in class (125g)
fixed screen
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
64
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition in class (103 grams)
no moving screen
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus VR-340 Sports photography factors
Panasonic XS1 Sports photography factors
44
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent MP (16 megapixels)
features tracking autofocus
no shutter priority
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect autofocus
41
image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
comes with tracking focus
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus VR-340 Travel photography highlights
Panasonic XS1 Travel photography highlights
69
lighter than average in class (125g)
decent MP (16MP)
built-in flash
rather wide (24mm)
does not have Timelapse function
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
69
lighter than competition in class (103 grams)
MP count decent (16MP)
has built in flash
really wide (24mm)
missing Time Lapse recording
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus VR-340
Landscape photography with Panasonic XS1
43
rather wide (24mm)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent MP (16 megapixels)
no manual focus
can't switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
lack of manual exposure
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
does not have Timelapse function
39
really wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (16MP)
lack of manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f2.8)
small screen (2.7")
manual exposure not possible
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
missing Time Lapse recording
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus VR-340 as a Vlogging camera
Panasonic XS1 as a Vlogging camera
33
rather wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
features face detection autofocus
lighter than average in class (125 grams)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
video resolution low (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have external microphone port
31
really wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition in class (103 grams)
sluggish max aperture (f2.8)
screen isn't selfie friendly
low video resolution (1280 x 720 pixels)
missing mic support
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Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic XS1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus VR-340 and Panasonic XS1
 Olympus VR-340Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus VR-340 Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1
Type Small Sensor Compact Small Sensor Compact
Launched 2012-01-10 2013-01-07
Physical type Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 16MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 -
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4608 x 3456
Highest native ISO 3200 6400
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 24-240mm (10.0x) 24-120mm (5.0x)
Maximal aperture f/3.0-5.7 f/2.8-6.9
Macro focus distance - 5cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.9
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen size 3" 2.7"
Resolution of screen 460k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen technology TFT Color LCD TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Min shutter speed 4 seconds 60 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/1600 seconds
Continuous shutter rate - 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 4.80 m 4.40 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30,15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 180 (30,15 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1280x720 1280x720
Video format Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 125 grams (0.28 pounds) 103 grams (0.23 pounds)
Dimensions 96 x 57 x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") 94 x 54 x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life - 260 shots
Type of battery - Battery Pack
Battery model LI-50B -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots Single Single
Price at release $130 $130