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Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic GH2

Portability
86
Imaging
54
Features
76
Overall
62
Olympus PEN E-PL8 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 front
Portability
70
Imaging
51
Features
65
Overall
56

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic GH2 Key Specs

Olympus E-PL8
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 357g - 115 x 67 x 38mm
  • Introduced September 2016
  • Older Model is Olympus E-PL7
  • Updated by Olympus E-PL9
Panasonic GH2
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 442g - 124 x 90 x 76mm
  • Announced March 2011
  • Old Model is Panasonic GH1
  • Refreshed by Panasonic GH3
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic GH2 Overview

Following is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic GH2, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the GH2 (16MP) is very close and both cameras posses the same sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

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The E-PL8 was released 5 years after the GH2 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic GH2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-PL8 scores vs the GH2 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL8 over the Panasonic GH2

 E-PL8 GH2 
AnnouncedSeptember 2016March 2011More modern by 67 months
Display resolution1037k460kCrisper display (+577k dot)

Reasons to pick Panasonic GH2 over the Olympus E-PL8

 GH2 E-PL8 
Display typeFully ArticulatedTiltingFully Articulating display
Selfie screen Take selfies

Common features in the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic GH2

 E-PL8 GH2 
Manually focus More precise focusing
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display measurement
Touch display Easily navigate

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic GH2 Physical Comparison

If you're aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL8 has exterior measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") along with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Panasonic GH2 has measurements of 124mm x 90mm x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0") with a weight of 442 grams (0.97 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic GH2 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL8 and the GH2.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic GH2 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and GH2 is 86 and 70 respectively.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic GH2 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic GH2 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it can be tough to see the gap in sensor sizes only by looking through specifications. The image below should offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL8 and GH2.

To sum up, each of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions and the exact same megapixels and you should expect comparable quality of files though you really should consider the release date of the cameras into account. The more modern E-PL8 will have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic GH2 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic GH2 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic GH2 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Portrait photography details
Panasonic GH2 Portrait photography details
72
has manual focus
resolution is good (16MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
comes with face detect autofocus
exports RAW files
70
you can focus manually
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
has face detect autofocus
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Street photography highlights
Panasonic GH2 Street photography highlights
84
has a tilting screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
boasts touch focus
good high ISO (25,600)
68
screen can move to multiple angles
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Sports photography details
Panasonic GH2 Sports photography details
67
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking focus
lacks phase detect autofocus
46
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
has tracking focus
max frames per second low (3.0 fps)
does not have image stabilization
bad battery life (330 shots)
lacks phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Travel photography details
Panasonic GH2 Travel photography details
71
boasts touch focus
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
62
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
selfie friendly screen
no Timelapse mode
bad battery life (330 shots)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 as a Landscape photography camera
Panasonic GH2 as a Landscape photography camera
80
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
resolution is good (16MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
good high ISO (25,600)
exports RAW files
60
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
bad battery life (330 CIPA)
no Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 as a Vlogging camera
Panasonic GH2 as a Vlogging camera
35
touchscreen enabled
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
comes with face detect autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
display isn't selfie friendly
no microphone jack
71
selfie friendly screen
touchscreen enabled
has face detect autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
comes with microphone port
does not have image stabilization
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Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic GH2 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic GH2
 Olympus PEN E-PL8Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus PEN E-PL8 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Advanced Mirrorless
Introduced 2016-09-19 2011-03-23
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VII Venus Engine FHD
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4608 x 3456 4608 x 3456
Max native ISO 25600 12800
Minimum native ISO 200 160
RAW format
Minimum enhanced ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 81 23
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Total lenses 107 107
Crop factor 2.1 2.1
Screen
Screen type Tilting Fully Articulated
Screen sizing 3" 3"
Resolution of screen 1,037 thousand dot 460 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Screen tech - TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) Electronic
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.71x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 secs 60 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter speed 8.0fps 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 15.60 m
Flash options no built-in flash Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync - 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (24, 30, 60fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 357 gr (0.79 lbs) 442 gr (0.97 lbs)
Physical dimensions 115 x 67 x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") 124 x 90 x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 60
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 21.2
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 11.3
DXO Low light rating not tested 655
Other
Battery life 350 images 330 images
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC card SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots One One
Launch price $500 $1,000