Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic S2

Let's look closer at the Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic S2, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the S2 (14MP) is very comparable but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and S2 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was launched 4 years after the S2 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S2 being a Compact camera.

Before delving in to a full comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PL8 matches up vs the S2 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-S2. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Panasonic S2 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera often, you will have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL8 comes with exterior dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") along with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S2 has specifications of 98mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 112 grams (0.25 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic S2 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL8 vs the S2.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and S2 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it can be difficult to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by going through technical specs. The picture below will help give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL8 and S2.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL8 because of its larger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Olympus E-PL8 will produce more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The newer E-PL8 is going to have an edge in sensor tech.