Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus 8000

The following is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus E-PL1 and Olympus 8000, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both manufactured by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the 8000 (12MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and 8000 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL1 was released 11 months after the 8000 and they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus 8000 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a complete comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-PL1 grades vs the 8000 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Olympus Stylus Tough 8000. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Olympus 8000 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 provides external measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Olympus 8000 has dimensions of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") with a weight of 182 grams (0.40 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL1 and Olympus 8000 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select at the time. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-PL1 and the 8000.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and 8000 is 86 and 94 respectively.

Generally, its tough to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions just by going through specs. The picture below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1 and 8000.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras posses the exact same resolution albeit not the same sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 has got the bigger sensor which should make obtaining shallower depth of field less difficult. The fresher E-PL1 is going to have a benefit in sensor technology.