Olympus VR-340 vs Sony A6500

Lets look closer at the Olympus VR-340 versus Sony A6500, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the VR-340 (16MP) and A6500 (24MP) and the VR-340 (1/2.3") and A6500 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The VR-340 was launched 5 years earlier than the A6500 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Sony A6500 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the VR-340 grades against the A6500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-340 and Sony Alpha a6500. The complete galleries are available at Olympus VR-340 Gallery and Sony A6500 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera, you should factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus VR-340 provides exterior dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sony A6500 has sizing of 120mm x 67mm x 53mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 453 grams (1.00 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VR-340 versus Sony A6500 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use at the time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the VR-340 versus the A6500.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the VR-340 and A6500 is 96 and 81 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to see the gap between sensor dimensions only by looking at specifications. The picture underneath may give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the VR-340 and A6500.

To sum up, the 2 cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The VR-340 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Sony A6500 will resolve extra detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged VR-340 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.