Olympus E-M5 III vs Olympus E-PL8

Following is a detailed comparison of the Olympus E-M5 III and Olympus E-PL8, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both built by Olympus. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the E-M5 III (20MP) and E-PL8 (16MP) but both cameras have the identical sensor size (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-M5 III was manufactured 3 years after the E-PL8 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a detailed comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-M5 III matches up against the E-PL8 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M5 III and Olympus PEN E-PL8. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-M5 III Gallery and Olympus E-PL8 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 III offers exterior dimensions of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") having a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs) while the Olympus E-PL8 has specifications of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M5 III and Olympus E-PL8 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-M5 III and the E-PL8.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 III and E-PL8 is 80 and 86 respectively.

Sometimes, it's difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes merely by going over technical specs. The image here should offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 III and E-PL8.

As you have seen, both of the cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different resolution. You should count on the Olympus E-M5 III to offer you extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The fresher E-M5 III provides an advantage in sensor tech.