Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic GH5S

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic GH5S, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and GH5S (10MP) but both cameras offer the identical sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

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The E-PL8 was unveiled 15 months prior to the GH5S which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic GH5S being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-PL8 grades vs the GH5S for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Panasonic GH5S Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL8 features outer dimensions 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 Panasonic GH5S has specifications of 139mm x 98mm x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") and a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic GH5S in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select at the time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL8 versus the GH5S.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL8 and GH5S is 86 and 62 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to see the contrast between sensor sizing merely by reading specs. The photograph underneath should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL8 and GH5S.

All in all, both the cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit not the same resolution. You should expect the Olympus E-PL8 to offer more detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older E-PL8 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.