Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony HX80

Here, we will be matching up the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony HX80, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and HX80 (18MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and HX80 (1/2.3") have different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL1 was announced 6 years prior to the HX80 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go right into a full comparison, here is a brief summation of how the E-PL1 scores versus the HX80 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Sony HX80 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera often, you have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1 features external measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Sony HX80 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") having a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony HX80 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at the time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL1 vs the HX80.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and HX80 is 86 and 91 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to picture the contrast between sensor sizes merely by looking at a spec sheet. The picture here might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1 and HX80.

As you can see, both cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Sony HX80 will give extra detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.