Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus TG-870

Let's look much closer at the Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus TG-870, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Ultracompact and both are built by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the TG-870 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and TG-870 (1/2.3") posses different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL8 was launched 9 months later than the TG-870 so they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-PL8 matches up vs the TG-870 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Olympus TG-870 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera, you should consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL8 has got external measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") and a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Olympus TG-870 has dimensions of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") having a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus TG-870 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL8 versus the TG-870.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and TG-870 is 86 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements just by checking a spec sheet. The visual below may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and TG-870.

As you can see, each of these cameras feature the identical resolution but different sensor measurements. The E-PL8 includes the larger sensor which is going to make obtaining shallow depth of field simpler. The more recent E-PL8 should have a benefit in sensor tech.