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Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic SZ7

Portability
86
Imaging
54
Features
76
Overall
62
Olympus PEN E-PL8 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7 front
Portability
95
Imaging
37
Features
41
Overall
38

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic SZ7 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
  • Revealed September 2016
  • Replaced the Olympus E-PL7
  • Renewed by Olympus E-PL9
Panasonic SZ7
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-250mm (F3.1-5.9) lens
  • 133g - 99 x 59 x 21mm
  • Released January 2012
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Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic SZ7 Overview

Lets take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-PL8 versus Panasonic SZ7, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the SZ7 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and SZ7 (1/2.3") provide different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL8 was introduced 4 years after the SZ7 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ7 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a in depth comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-PL8 matches up versus the SZ7 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL8 over the Panasonic SZ7

 E-PL8 SZ7 
ReleasedSeptember 2016January 2012Newer by 58 months
Focus manually Very precise focus
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen resolution1037k460kCrisper screen (+577k dot)
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic SZ7 over the Olympus E-PL8

 SZ7 E-PL8 

Common features in the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic SZ7

 E-PL8 SZ7 
Screen size3"3"Same screen measurements
Selfie screen No selfie screen

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic SZ7 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL8 features outer dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Panasonic SZ7 has specifications of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") and a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL8 versus Panasonic SZ7 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL8 compared to the SZ7.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic SZ7 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and SZ7 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic SZ7 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic SZ7 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is very tough to picture the difference between sensor dimensions merely by reading through a spec sheet. The pic below might offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL8 and SZ7.

As you can see, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL8 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-PL8 will give more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The fresher E-PL8 provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic SZ7 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic SZ7 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic SZ7 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Portrait photography features
Panasonic SZ7 Portrait photography features
72
focusing manually
good resolution (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
features face detection focus
delivers RAW formats
33
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
has face detection autofocus
lack of manual focus
no manual mode
can't use external flash
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-PL8
Street photography with Panasonic SZ7
84
has a tilting screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
comes with touch focus
great high ISO (25,600)
63
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than average (133g)
fixed screen
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Sports photography advice
Panasonic SZ7 Sports photography advice
67
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good resolution (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
features tracking autofocus
has no phase detect auto focus
43
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
has tracking autofocus
no shutter priority mode
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
Photography Glossary

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Travel photography factors
Panasonic SZ7 Travel photography factors
71
comes with touch focus
good resolution (16MP)
display is not selfie friendly
70
lighter than average (133 grams)
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
has built in flash
rather wide (25mm)
great reach (250mm)
doesn't have Timelapse function
does not have selfie friendly screen
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.1)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-PL8
Landscape photography with Panasonic SZ7
80
focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good resolution (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
great high ISO (25,600)
delivers RAW formats
42
rather wide (25mm)
screen size is decent (3 inches)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
lack of manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.1)
no manual mode
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
doesn't have Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus E-PL8
Vlogging with Panasonic SZ7
35
touchscreen capability
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
features face detection focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
display is not selfie friendly
no external mic support
35
rather wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
has face detection autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than average (133 grams)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.1)
does not have selfie friendly screen
doesn't have external microphone jack
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Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic SZ7 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic SZ7
 Olympus PEN E-PL8Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus PEN E-PL8 Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Revealed 2016-09-19 2012-01-09
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VII -
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 14MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4320 x 3240
Highest native ISO 25600 6400
Minimum native ISO 200 100
RAW data
Minimum enhanced ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points 81 23
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 25-250mm (10.0x)
Highest aperture - f/3.1-5.9
Macro focusing range - 4cm
Amount of lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.9
Screen
Screen type Tilting Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 1,037k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Screen tech - TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 8s
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/1600s
Continuous shutter speed 8.0 frames per second 10.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 5.60 m
Flash options no built-in flash Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
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 (60, 30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone input
Headphone input
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 grams (0.79 lb) 133 grams (0.29 lb)
Physical dimensions 115 x 67 x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") 99 x 59 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 350 photos 220 photos
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC card SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Cost at release $500 $199