Olympus E-PL2 vs Sony HX80

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-PL2 and Sony HX80, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and HX80 (18MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and HX80 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL2 was released 6 years before the HX80 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX80 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a in depth comparison, here is a short view of how the E-PL2 scores against the HX80 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Sony HX80 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera often, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL2 enjoys physical measurements of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) while the Sony HX80 has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL2 and Sony HX80 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have at that time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL2 vs the HX80.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL2 and HX80 is 85 and 91 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to picture the contrast in sensor sizing purely by viewing specifications. The photograph below may give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL2 and HX80.

To sum up, both of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL2 because of its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Sony HX80 will render more detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older E-PL2 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.