Olympus E-PL1s vs Pentax W80

Below is a extensive comparison of the Olympus E-PL1s and Pentax W80, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the W80 (12MP) is fairly similar but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and W80 (1/2.3") posses different sensor size.

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The E-PL1s was launched 17 months later than the W80 making them a generation apart from each other. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax W80 being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a complete comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-PL1s scores vs the W80 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Pentax Optio W80. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Pentax W80 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1s 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) whilst the Pentax W80 has proportions of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL1s and Pentax W80 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using during that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL1s versus the W80.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1s and W80 is 86 and 94 respectively.

Often, it's tough to visualize the difference between sensor measurements only by reading specifications. The graphic here will help provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1s and W80.

Plainly, both the cameras come with the identical resolution but different sensor measurements. The E-PL1s has got the larger sensor which is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult. The younger E-PL1s should have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.