Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic FZ200

Below is a comprehensive review of the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic FZ200, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and FZ200 (12MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and FZ200 (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was revealed 4 years later than the FZ200 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ200 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go right into a full comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-PL8 matches up against the FZ200 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Panasonic FZ200 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL8 has outside measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ200 has measurements of 125mm x 87mm x 110mm (4.9" x 3.4" x 4.3") with a weight of 588 grams (1.30 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic FZ200 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you use at that time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL8 compared to the FZ200.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and FZ200 is 86 and 65 respectively.

Often, it is very difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements purely by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic below will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL8 and FZ200.

As you can see, each of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL8 using its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL8 will provide you with extra detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The fresher E-PL8 provides a benefit with regard to sensor technology.