Olympus VR-340 vs Sony A550

Below, we are analyzing the Olympus VR-340 and Sony A550, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the VR-340 (16MP) and the A550 (14MP) is very close but the VR-340 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor size.

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The VR-340 was announced 2 years after the A550 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go through a in depth comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the VR-340 scores versus the A550 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-340 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VR-340 Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus VR-340 offers external 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 Sony A550 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check the Olympus VR-340 and Sony A550 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the VR-340 versus the A550.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VR-340 and A550 is 96 and 63 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizes only by looking through a spec sheet. The picture underneath may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the VR-340 and A550.

Clearly, each of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The VR-340 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Olympus VR-340 will render more detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will help you crop photos much more aggressively. The newer VR-340 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.