Olympus VR-340 vs Sigma DP1x

Following is a detailed review of the Olympus VR-340 versus Sigma DP1x, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sigma. There exists a noticeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the VR-340 (16MP) and DP1x (5MP) and the VR-340 (1/2.3") and DP1x (APS-C) provide different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The VR-340 was released 23 months after the DP1x making them a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP1x being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summary of how the VR-340 matches up vs the DP1x in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-340 & Sigma DP1x. The complete galleries are available at Olympus VR-340 Gallery & Sigma DP1x Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera often, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VR-340 provides outer 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) while the Sigma DP1x has dimensions of 113mm x 60mm x 50mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 2.0") accompanied by a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VR-340 versus Sigma DP1x in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have during that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the VR-340 against the DP1x.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VR-340 and DP1x is 96 and 88 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor sizes just by looking at a spec sheet. The image here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the VR-340 and DP1x.

Clearly, the two cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The VR-340 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh more challenging and the Olympus VR-340 will give greater detail as a result of its extra 11MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images way more aggressively. The fresher VR-340 provides an advantage with regard to sensor technology.