Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-PL8

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus E-PL8, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are created by Olympus. The resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the E-PL8 (16MP) is fairly similar and they use the exact same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 was announced 3 years prior to the E-PL8 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a complete comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-M1 grades vs the E-PL8 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Olympus PEN E-PL8. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Olympus E-PL8 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1 provides external dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") and a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Olympus E-PL8 has sizing of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") and a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus E-PL8 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-M1 compared to the E-PL8.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and E-PL8 is 71 and 86 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to see the contrast between sensor sizes merely by reading specifications. The pic below should provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and E-PL8.

To sum up, the two cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the same MP so you should expect similar quality of photos but you have to factor the release date of the products into consideration. The more aged E-M1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.