Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic ZS10

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic ZS10, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the ZS10 (14MP) is fairly similar but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and ZS10 (1/2.3") possess different sensor measurements.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-PL8 was unveiled 5 years later than the ZS10 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS10 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-PL8 grades vs the ZS10 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Panasonic ZS10 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL8 has got exterior 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 ZS10 has specifications of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") having a weight of 219 grams (0.48 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic ZS10 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL8 versus the ZS10.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL8 and ZS10 is 86 and 91 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizing simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The photograph here might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and ZS10.

As you can see, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL8 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh easier and the Olympus E-PL8 will deliver extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more modern E-PL8 provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.