Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic FZ1000 II

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-PL8 versus Panasonic FZ1000 II, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the FZ1000 II (20MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and FZ1000 II (1") possess different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL8 was announced 3 years earlier than the FZ1000 II which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 II being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PL8 matches up versus the FZ1000 II for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Panasonic FZ1000 II Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL8 has got outer dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") and a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ1000 II has specifications of 136mm x 97mm x 132mm (5.4" x 3.8" x 5.2") and a weight of 808 grams (1.78 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL8 versus Panasonic FZ1000 II in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have at that moment. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL8 compared to the FZ1000 II.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL8 and FZ1000 II is 86 and 55 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes just by reading through specs. The picture here will help provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL8 and FZ1000 II.

All in all, both of those cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL8 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh simpler and the Panasonic FZ1000 II will give greater detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images a little more aggressively. The more aged E-PL8 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.