Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic SZ8
86 Imaging
46 Features
43 Overall
44
94 Imaging
39 Features
31 Overall
35
Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic SZ8 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 334g - 115 x 72 x 42mm
- Introduced May 2010
- Replacement is Olympus E-PL1s
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 1600 (Bump to 6400)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 24-288mm (F3.1-6.3) lens
- 159g - 100 x 60 x 27mm
- Revealed January 2014
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic SZ8 Overview
Lets look more in depth at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic SZ8, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and SZ8 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and SZ8 (1/2.3") boast different sensor measurements.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe E-PL1 was released 4 years prior to the SZ8 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ8 being a Compact camera.
Before getting straight to a in depth comparison, here is a brief view of how the E-PL1 matches up vs the SZ8 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic SZ8 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Panasonic SZ8 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL1 over the Panasonic SZ8
| E-PL1 | SZ8 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | More precise focusing |
Reasons to pick Panasonic SZ8 over the Olympus E-PL1
| SZ8 | E-PL1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | January 2014 | May 2010 | More modern by 44 months | |
| Screen dimensions | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 460k | 230k | Clearer screen (+230k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL1 and Panasonic SZ8
| E-PL1 | SZ8 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed screen | |
| Selfie screen | Neither has selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Neither has Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic SZ8 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1 has outer measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ8 has proportions of 100mm x 60mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") along with a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic SZ8 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL1 against the SZ8.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and SZ8 is 86 and 94 respectively.
Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic SZ8 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it can be tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes just by researching specs. The picture underneath will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1 and SZ8.
As you can plainly see, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 due to its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic SZ8 will provide you with greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.
Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic SZ8 Screen and ViewFinder
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsStreet Comparison
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesSports Comparison
Photography GlossaryTravel Comparison
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoLandscape Comparison
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsVlogging Comparison
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide
Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic SZ8 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-PL1 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Panasonic |
| Model | Olympus PEN E-PL1 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8 |
| Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Superzoom |
| Introduced | 2010-05-17 | 2014-01-06 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | Truepic V | Venus Engine |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4608 x 3456 |
| Max native ISO | 3200 | 1600 |
| Max enhanced ISO | - | 6400 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Number of focus points | 11 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | - | 24-288mm (12.0x) |
| Maximal aperture | - | f/3.1-6.3 |
| Number of lenses | 107 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.9 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display size | 2.7" | 3" |
| Resolution of display | 230k dots | 460k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch display | ||
| Display technology | HyperCrystal LCD AR (Anti-Reflective) coating | TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | None |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 60 seconds | 8 seconds |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/2000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter rate | 3.0fps | 1.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | 10.00 m | 5.20 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash synchronize | 1/160 seconds | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p), 320 x 240 (30p) |
| Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
| Video file format | Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
| Mic port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Built-In |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 334 gr (0.74 lb) | 159 gr (0.35 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 115 x 72 x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") | 100 x 60 x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | 54 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | 21.5 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 10.1 | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | 487 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 290 images | 200 images |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | BLS-1 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Retail cost | $288 | $275 |