Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic ZS70

In this write-up, we are looking at the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic ZS70, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the ZS70 (20MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and ZS70 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL8 was brought out 7 months prior to the ZS70 which means that they are of a similar age. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS70 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PL8 matches up vs the ZS70 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Panasonic ZS70 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL8 comes with outside measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") along with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS70 has measurements of 112mm x 67mm x 41mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") along with a weight of 322 grams (0.71 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL8 and Panasonic ZS70 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL8 versus the ZS70.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and ZS70 is 86 and 87 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to imagine the gap between sensor sizes purely by reading through specs. The image underneath may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and ZS70.

All in all, both of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL8 featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic ZS70 will give you greater detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos a little more aggressively. The more aged E-PL8 is going to be behind in sensor tech.