Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic ZS40

Below, we will be matching up the Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic ZS40, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the VR-340 (16MP) and the ZS40 (18MP) is pretty well matched and they possess the exact same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The VR-340 was announced 24 months before the ZS40 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a quick view of how the VR-340 matches up against the ZS40 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VR-340 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus VR-340 Gallery & Panasonic ZS40 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus VR-340 provides outer 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) whilst the Panasonic ZS40 has specifications of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus VR-340 vs Panasonic ZS40 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the VR-340 against the ZS40.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VR-340 and ZS40 is 96 and 90 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizing only by looking at specs. The visual below may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the VR-340 and ZS40.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You can expect the Panasonic ZS40 to resolve more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots much more aggressively. The older VR-340 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.