Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-12
86 Imaging
54 Features
76 Overall
62


89 Imaging
37 Features
36 Overall
36
Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-12 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 357g - 115 x 67 x 38mm
- Released September 2016
- Old Model is Olympus E-PL7
- Later Model is Olympus E-PL9
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
- 226g - 106 x 69 x 40mm
- Introduced January 2012

Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-12 Overview
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.

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.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-12 Gallery
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.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL8 over the Olympus SZ-12
E-PL8 | SZ-12 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | September 2016 | ![]() | January 2012 | More modern by 58 months |
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial exact focus | ||
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 460k | Clearer display (+577k dot) |
Touch display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-12 over the Olympus E-PL8
SZ-12 | E-PL8 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-PL8 and Olympus SZ-12
E-PL8 | SZ-12 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal display measurement |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen |
Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-12 Physical Comparison
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.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-12 Sensor Comparison
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.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-12 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-12 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL8 | Olympus SZ-12 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Olympus |
Model | Olympus PEN E-PL8 | Olympus SZ-12 |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Released | 2016-09-19 | 2012-01-10 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | TruePic VII | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | - |
Max resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4288 x 3216 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 1600 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 80 |
RAW data | ||
Min enhanced ISO | 100 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 81 | - |
Cross focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 25-600mm (24.0x) |
Maximum aperture | - | f/3.0-6.9 |
Available lenses | 107 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Display size | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Display resolution | 1,037k dot | 460k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Display technology | - | TFT Color LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | None |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60s | 4s |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/1700s |
Continuous shutter speed | 8.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | - |
Flash modes | no built-in flash | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video format | H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 357 grams (0.79 pounds) | 226 grams (0.50 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 115 x 67 x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") | 106 x 69 x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 350 photographs | 220 photographs |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | - | LI-50B |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) | Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Storage slots | One | One |
Cost at release | $500 | $350 |