Olympus VR-340 vs Pentax KP

In this write-up, we will be matching up the Olympus VR-340 vs Pentax KP, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the VR-340 (16MP) and KP (24MP) and the VR-340 (1/2.3") and KP (APS-C) enjoy different sensor measurements.

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The VR-340 was announced 6 years before the KP which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Pentax KP being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go in to a more detailed comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the VR-340 scores against the KP when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VR-340 & Pentax KP. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus VR-340 Gallery & Pentax KP Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VR-340 has outside measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Pentax KP has dimensions of 132mm x 101mm x 76mm (5.2" x 4.0" x 3.0") and a weight of 703 grams (1.55 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus VR-340 vs Pentax KP in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose at the time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the VR-340 compared to the KP.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the VR-340 and KP is 96 and 61 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes purely by reviewing specs. The picture here will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the VR-340 and KP.

All in all, both of those cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The VR-340 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Pentax KP will offer more detail with its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more aged VR-340 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.