Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic S1

Lets look more in depth at the Olympus E-PL8 versus Panasonic S1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and S1 (12MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL8 was introduced 5 years later than the S1 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-PL8 scores versus the S1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Panasonic S1 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL8 has got outer measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") and a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S1 has proportions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL8 versus Panasonic S1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL8 and the S1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL8 and S1 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to imagine the gap in sensor sizing purely by seeing technical specs. The graphic here may give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL8 and S1.

As you can tell, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL8 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL8 will provide greater detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The newer E-PL8 should have an edge in sensor tech.