Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS

Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both produced by Olympus. The resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL8 was brought out 3 years after the SZ-16 iHS which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a more detailed comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the E-PL8 scores against the SZ-16 iHS in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Olympus SZ-16 iHS. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery.

If you're intending to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL8 provides outside measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-16 iHS has specifications of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL8 against the SZ-16 iHS.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and SZ-16 iHS is 86 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to envision the difference in sensor sizes just by checking out technical specs. The image here might offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL8 and SZ-16 iHS.

As you can tell, both the cameras enjoy the same exact megapixels but not the same sensor sizes. The E-PL8 uses the larger sensor which is going to make obtaining bokeh less difficult. The fresher E-PL8 will have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.