Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic FZ47

The following is a thorough analysis of the Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic FZ47, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and FZ47 (12MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and FZ47 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was brought out 5 years after the FZ47 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ47 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-PL8 grades versus the FZ47 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Panasonic FZ47 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL8 provides external measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ47 has measurements of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") and a weight of 498 grams (1.10 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic FZ47 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose at that time. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-PL8 against the FZ47.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and FZ47 is 86 and 68 respectively.

Oftentimes, its tough to envision the gap between sensor dimensions simply by reviewing specs. The image below should give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and FZ47.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL8 featuring a bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL8 will offer you more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures far more aggressively. The more modern E-PL8 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.