Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic ZS7

Below, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-PL8 versus Panasonic ZS7, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and ZS7 (12MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and ZS7 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was announced 5 years later than the ZS7 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS7 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-PL8 matches up vs the ZS7 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Panasonic ZS7 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL8 has got physical dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS7 has proportions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL8 versus Panasonic ZS7 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use during that time. Here is the front view size comparison of the E-PL8 against the ZS7.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and ZS7 is 86 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizing just by going through specs. The visual underneath may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL8 and ZS7.

All in all, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL8 having a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-PL8 will produce greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The fresher E-PL8 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.