Olympus VR-340 vs Sony HX5

Below, we are looking at the Olympus VR-340 versus Sony HX5, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the VR-340 (16MP) and HX5 (10MP) and the VR-340 (1/2.3") and HX5 (1/2.4") use totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The VR-340 was revealed 20 months later than the HX5 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before getting through a in depth comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the VR-340 scores vs the HX5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VR-340 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The full galleries are provided at Olympus VR-340 Gallery & Sony HX5 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera regularly, you will have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VR-340 has physical measurements 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 HX5 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Check out the Olympus VR-340 versus Sony HX5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the VR-340 compared to the HX5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the VR-340 and HX5 is 96 and 92 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to see the gap between sensor sizing simply by going over technical specs. The photograph underneath may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the VR-340 and HX5.

As you can tell, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The VR-340 with its larger sensor will make getting bokeh simpler and the Olympus VR-340 will deliver greater detail because of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more recent VR-340 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.