Olympus VR-340 vs Sony A33

Below is a complete assessment of the Olympus VR-340 versus Sony A33, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the VR-340 (16MP) and the A33 (14MP) is very close but the VR-340 (1/2.3") and A33 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The VR-340 was launched 17 months later than the A33 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VR-340 being a Compact camera and the Sony A33 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a complete comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the VR-340 grades against the A33 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-340 & Sony SLT-A33. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus VR-340 Gallery & Sony A33 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus VR-340 provides external dimensions 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 A33 has proportions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VR-340 versus Sony A33 in our brand new 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 the front view overall size comparison of the VR-340 and the A33.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the VR-340 and A33 is 96 and 67 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to picture the contrast in sensor measurements only by looking through specs. The graphic below will help give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the VR-340 and A33.

As you can plainly see, both cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The VR-340 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh tougher and the Olympus VR-340 will render more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos far more aggressively. The more recent VR-340 should have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.