Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS

Below is a thorough comparison of the Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Waterproof and both are sold by Olympus. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and TG-2 iHS (12MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and TG-2 iHS (1/2.3") use totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was introduced 3 years later than the TG-2 iHS and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-2 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before going through a complete comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-PL8 scores versus the TG-2 iHS with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Olympus TG-2 iHS Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL8 offers exterior measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Olympus TG-2 iHS has sizing of 111mm x 67mm x 29mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.1") and a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL8 against the TG-2 iHS.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and TG-2 iHS is 86 and 91 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to see the gap between sensor measurements only by reading through technical specs. The graphic here will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and TG-2 iHS.

As you have seen, both of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL8 having a bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL8 will give you more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more recent E-PL8 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.