Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic S5

Below is a extended overview of the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic S5, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and S5 (24MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and S5 (Full frame) posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL8 was launched 4 years before the S5 and that is a fairly significant gap 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 Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-PL8 grades versus the S5 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Panasonic S5 Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera, you will want to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL8 has outer dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Panasonic S5 has sizing of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") with a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic S5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using during that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL8 against the S5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL8 and S5 is 86 and 60 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to see the gap in sensor measurements merely by going through technical specs. The visual here should offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL8 and S5.

As you can tell, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL8 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic S5 will produce extra detail utilizing its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older E-PL8 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.