Olympus VR-340 vs Samsung Galaxy NX

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus VR-340 versus Samsung Galaxy NX, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Samsung. The sensor resolution of the VR-340 (16MP) and the Galaxy NX (20MP) is fairly similar but the VR-340 (1/2.3") and Galaxy NX (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The VR-340 was unveiled 17 months prior to the Galaxy NX making the cameras a generation away from each other. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Samsung Galaxy NX being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the VR-340 matches up versus the Galaxy NX for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VR-340 & Samsung Galaxy NX. The full galleries are available at Olympus VR-340 Gallery & Samsung Galaxy NX Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus VR-340 has outside measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Samsung Galaxy NX has measurements of 137mm x 101mm x 26mm (5.4" x 4.0" x 1.0") and a weight of 495 grams (1.09 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus VR-340 versus Samsung Galaxy NX in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the VR-340 compared to the Galaxy NX.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the VR-340 and Galaxy NX is 96 and 82 respectively.

Often, its difficult to envision the difference between sensor dimensions merely by going over a spec sheet. The pic below will give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the VR-340 and Galaxy NX.

Clearly, both cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The VR-340 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Samsung Galaxy NX will offer you more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos far more aggressively. The more aged VR-340 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.