Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K-x

The following is a complete assessment of the Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K-x, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a crucial difference between the resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and K-x (12MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and K-x (APS-C) provide different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL8 was announced 6 years after the K-x which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-x being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-PL8 scores vs the K-x for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Pentax K-x. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Pentax K-x Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to travel with your camera often, you should factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL8 enjoys external 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 Pentax K-x has sizing of 123mm x 92mm x 68mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 2.7") with a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K-x in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL8 against the K-x.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL8 and K-x is 86 and 69 respectively.

Generally, it is difficult to picture the difference between sensor dimensions purely by reading through a spec sheet. The pic here may provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and K-x.

Clearly, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL8 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Olympus E-PL8 will resolve greater detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The fresher E-PL8 should have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.