Olympus VR-340 vs Sony HX400V

Here, we will be matching up the Olympus VR-340 and Sony HX400V, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the VR-340 (16MP) and the HX400V (20MP) is pretty close and both cameras posses the identical sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The VR-340 was unveiled 3 years prior to the HX400V and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX400V being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the VR-340 scores versus the HX400V with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VR-340 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V. The full galleries are available at Olympus VR-340 Gallery and Sony HX400V Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus VR-340 has outer measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Sony HX400V has sizing of 130mm x 93mm x 103mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.1") with a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus VR-340 and Sony HX400V in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the VR-340 versus the HX400V.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VR-340 and HX400V is 96 and 62 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements just by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the VR-340 and HX400V.

Clearly, the two cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different resolution. You should expect the Sony HX400V to render greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures way more aggressively. The older VR-340 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.