Olympus VR-340 vs Sony HX1

Here is a in depth review of the Olympus VR-340 versus Sony HX1, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference between the image resolutions of the VR-340 (16MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the VR-340 (1/2.3") and HX1 (1/2.4") have totally different sensor sizing.

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The VR-340 was unveiled 2 years later than the HX1 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going into a thorough comparison, here is a quick summary of how the VR-340 grades vs the HX1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VR-340 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus VR-340 Gallery & Sony HX1 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry your camera, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus VR-340 has external measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Sony HX1 has measurements of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") and a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

See the Olympus VR-340 versus Sony HX1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the VR-340 vs the HX1.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the VR-340 and HX1 is 96 and 67 respectively.

Usually, it is very hard to envision the gap between sensor sizing merely by reading specs. The graphic below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the VR-340 and HX1.

All in all, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The VR-340 using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus VR-340 will deliver greater detail having an extra 7 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs more aggressively. The more recent VR-340 will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.