Leica M8 vs Olympus E-P5

In this write-up, we will be looking at the Leica M8 versus Olympus E-P5, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Leica and Olympus. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the M8 (10MP) and E-P5 (16MP) and the M8 (APS-H) and E-P5 (Four Thirds) come with different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The M8 was unveiled 7 years before the E-P5 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before we go straight into a complete comparison, below is a quick summary of how the M8 grades against the E-P5 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Leica M8 and Olympus PEN E-P5. The full galleries are provided at Leica M8 Gallery and Olympus E-P5 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera regularly, you are going to need to take into account its weight and size. The Leica M8 provides external measurements of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") having a weight of 591 grams (1.30 lbs) and the Olympus E-P5 has specifications of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs).

Check out the Leica M8 versus Olympus E-P5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the M8 versus the E-P5.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the M8 and E-P5 is 79 and 85 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing simply by reading through a spec sheet. The visual here will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the M8 and E-P5.

As you can see, both of those cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The M8 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus E-P5 will resolve extra detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs far more aggressively. The older M8 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.