Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic ZS8

The following is a in-depth review of the Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic ZS8, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-P5 (16MP) and the ZS8 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and ZS8 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-P5 was brought out 2 years after the ZS8 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief summation of how the E-P5 scores against the ZS8 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P5 Gallery and Panasonic ZS8 Gallery.

If you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P5 has outside dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS8 has measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") having a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic ZS8 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select at the time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-P5 versus the ZS8.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P5 and ZS8 is 85 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to see the difference in sensor dimensions purely by viewing specifications. The image below should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P5 and ZS8.

Plainly, each of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-P5 due to its larger sensor will make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-P5 will provide you with extra detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics way more aggressively. The fresher E-P5 is going to have an edge in sensor technology.