Olympus VR-340 vs Pentax K-r

Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus VR-340 versus Pentax K-r, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the VR-340 (16MP) and K-r (12MP) and the VR-340 (1/2.3") and K-r (APS-C) offer totally different sensor size.

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The VR-340 was launched 11 months after the K-r so they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-r being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the VR-340 grades vs the K-r in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VR-340 & Pentax K-r. The complete galleries are available at Olympus VR-340 Gallery & Pentax K-r Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus VR-340 offers exterior dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Pentax K-r has sizing of 125mm x 97mm x 68mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 2.7") with a weight of 598 grams (1.32 lbs).

Examine the Olympus VR-340 versus Pentax K-r 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 that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the VR-340 versus the K-r.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the VR-340 and K-r is 96 and 67 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes only by seeing specs. The pic below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-340 and K-r.

All in all, each of these cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The VR-340 because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Olympus VR-340 will provide more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos more aggressively. The more modern VR-340 is going to have an advantage in sensor technology.