Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS8

Below is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS8, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL2 (12MP) and the ZS8 (14MP) is fairly similar but the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and ZS8 (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL2 was unveiled 5 months before the ZS8 so they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-PL2 grades against the ZS8 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Panasonic ZS8 Gallery.

If you're intending to lug around your camera, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL2 features outside dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS8 has measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS8 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilising at the time. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PL2 vs the ZS8.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL2 and ZS8 is 85 and 92 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reviewing specs. The photograph here will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL2 and ZS8.

As you can plainly see, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL2 with its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS8 will offer you extra detail having an extra 2MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively.