Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus XZ-1

On this page, we are contrasting the Olympus E-PL8 versus Olympus XZ-1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are sold by Olympus. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and XZ-1 (10MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and XZ-1 (1/1.63") boast different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was launched 5 years later than the XZ-1 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a in depth comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-PL8 grades vs the XZ-1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Olympus XZ-1. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Olympus XZ-1 Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL8 has got external measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") along with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-1 has proportions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL8 versus Olympus XZ-1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PL8 vs the XZ-1.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and XZ-1 is 86 and 88 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements simply by going through specs. The graphic here should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and XZ-1.

As you can plainly see, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL8 featuring a larger sensor is going to make getting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-PL8 will provide more detail utilizing its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-PL8 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.