Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus VG-145

Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-PL8 and Olympus VG-145, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Ultracompact and both of them are designed by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the VG-145 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and VG-145 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL8 was released 5 years later than the VG-145 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VG-145 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before we go through a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-PL8 scores against the VG-145 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Olympus VG-145. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Olympus VG-145 Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL8 comes with outside dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") along with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Olympus VG-145 has dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL8 and Olympus VG-145 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select at the time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL8 and the VG-145.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and VG-145 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it is tough to visualise the gap between sensor measurements only by checking technical specs. The photograph underneath may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL8 and VG-145.

As you have seen, both the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL8 featuring a larger sensor will make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL8 will give you more detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos much more aggressively. The more recent E-PL8 is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.