Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Olympus VH-515 and Olympus E-M1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus VH-515 has external dimensions of 102 x 60 x 21 mm (4.02 x 2.36 x 0.83″) and weighs 152 g (0.34 lb / 5.36 oz) (including batteries). Olympus E-M1 has external dimensions of 130 x 94 x 63 mm (5.13 x 3.68 x 2.48″) and weighs 497 g (1.10 lb / 17.53 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Olympus VH-515 and the Olympus E-M1. Olympus VH-515 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 28mm narrower, 34mm shorter and 42mm thinner than Olympus E-M1. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Olympus VH-515 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-M1 doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-M1, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Olympus VH-515 and Olympus E-M1.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus VH-515 and Olympus E-M1.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Olympus VH-515 is significantly lighter (345g ) than the Olympus E-M1 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on E-M1, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Thanks to the weather-sealed body of the E-M1, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to the VH-515.
LCD Screen Size and Features
Olympus VH-515 and Olympus E-M1's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.
On the other hand, Olympus E-M1 features a
Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels whereas the Olympus VH-515 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-M1.