Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic ZS8

Below is a extensive review of the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic ZS8, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the ZS8 (14MP) is pretty similar but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and ZS8 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor size.

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The E-PL5 was unveiled 15 months later than the ZS8 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a detailed comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-PL5 scores vs the ZS8 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Panasonic ZS8 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 provides outer dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS8 has proportions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic ZS8 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL5 and the ZS8.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and ZS8 is 88 and 92 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements simply by going over specifications. The visual here may offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL5 and ZS8.

To sum up, the two cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-PL5 will offer more detail having an extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots far more aggressively. The newer E-PL5 should have a benefit in sensor technology.