Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus E-PL8

Below is a complete review of the Olympus E-M5 and Olympus E-PL8, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are manufactured by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the E-PL8 (16MP) is relatively well matched and they come with the exact same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-M5 was brought out 5 years before the E-PL8 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-M5 scores against the E-PL8 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M5 offers exterior dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Olympus E-PL8 has dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M5 and Olympus E-PL8 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the E-M5 and the E-PL8.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 and E-PL8 is 81 and 86 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to picture the difference between sensor measurements purely by looking at specs. The graphic here should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 and E-PL8.

All in all, both of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the same resolution and you can expect similar quality of pictures however you really should consider the age of the products into consideration. The older E-M5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.