Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic FZ1000

Here is a detailed comparison of the Olympus E-PL8 versus Panasonic FZ1000, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the FZ1000 (20MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and FZ1000 (1") come with different sensor size.

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The E-PL8 was unveiled 2 years later than the FZ1000 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting straight into a full comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PL8 grades against the FZ1000 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Panasonic FZ1000 Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL8 provides exterior measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ1000 has dimensions of 137mm x 99mm x 131mm (5.4" x 3.9" x 5.2") with a weight of 831 grams (1.83 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL8 versus Panasonic FZ1000 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have attached at the time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PL8 and the FZ1000.

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

Normally, its difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizing only by going through a spec sheet. The photograph below should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and FZ1000.

Clearly, the two cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL8 having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic FZ1000 will provide extra detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots much more aggressively. The newer E-PL8 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.