Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus E-PL8

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-PL3 versus Olympus E-PL8, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras and both of them are offered by Olympus. There exists a huge gap between the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and E-PL8 (16MP) but both cameras boast the same sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was announced 6 years before the E-PL8 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving straight to a complete comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-PL3 grades against the E-PL8 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Olympus PEN E-PL8. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Olympus E-PL8 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL3 comes with outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PL8 has measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL3 versus Olympus E-PL8 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL3 vs the E-PL8.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and E-PL8 is 88 and 86 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to imagine the gap between sensor measurements just by reading specs. The visual underneath should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and E-PL8.

All in all, each of these cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different MP. You should expect the Olympus E-PL8 to offer you more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-PL3 is going to be behind in sensor tech.