Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-12

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-12, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both created by Olympus. The resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the SZ-12 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and SZ-12 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL8 was introduced 4 years after the SZ-12 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a short introduction of how the E-PL8 scores against the SZ-12 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Olympus SZ-12. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Olympus SZ-12 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera, you need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL8 comes with outer dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-12 has sizing of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-12 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL8 and the SZ-12.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL8 and SZ-12 is 86 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to envision the contrast between sensor sizes simply by looking at technical specs. The image below may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL8 and SZ-12.

As you can tell, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL8 with its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL8 will give more detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively. The fresher E-PL8 will have an edge in sensor tech.