Olympus VR-340 vs Pentax ist DL2

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus VR-340 vs Pentax ist DL2, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the VR-340 (16MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the VR-340 (1/2.3") and ist DL2 (APS-C) possess different sensor sizes.

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The VR-340 was introduced 6 years later than the ist DL2 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the VR-340 scores versus the ist DL2 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VR-340 and Pentax ist DL2. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VR-340 Gallery and Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus VR-340 comes with outside dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DL2 has proportions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus VR-340 vs Pentax ist DL2 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen during that time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the VR-340 compared to the ist DL2.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the VR-340 and ist DL2 is 96 and 69 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to picture the gap between sensor measurements simply by reading through specifications. The visual here may offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the VR-340 and ist DL2.

To sum up, the 2 cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The VR-340 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Olympus VR-340 will give greater detail using its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more modern VR-340 provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.