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Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K20D

Portability
86
Imaging
54
Features
76
Overall
62
Olympus PEN E-PL8 front
 
Pentax K20D front
Portability
59
Imaging
53
Features
52
Overall
52

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K20D Key Specs

Olympus E-PL8
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 357g - 115 x 67 x 38mm
  • Introduced September 2016
  • Replaced the Olympus E-PL7
  • Successor is Olympus E-PL9
Pentax K20D
(Full Review)
  • 15MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200 (Increase to 6400)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 800g - 142 x 101 x 70mm
  • Released June 2008
  • Older Model is Pentax K10D
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Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K20D Overview

Here is a in-depth comparison of the Olympus E-PL8 versus Pentax K20D, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the K20D (15MP) is fairly close but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and K20D (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL8 was released 8 years later than the K20D and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K20D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting through a complete comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-PL8 matches up versus the K20D for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL8 over the Pentax K20D

 E-PL8 K20D 
ReleasedSeptember 2016June 2008Fresher by 101 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display dimension3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution1037k230kSharper display (+807k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax K20D over the Olympus E-PL8

 K20D E-PL8 

Common features in the Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax K20D

 E-PL8 K20D 
Manual focus Dial precise focusing
Selfie screen Neither offers selfie screen

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K20D Physical Comparison

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL8 offers external dimensions 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 Pentax K20D has sizing of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL8 versus Pentax K20D in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at the time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL8 against the K20D.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K20D size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and K20D is 86 and 59 respectively.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K20D top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K20D Sensor Comparison

Normally, it can be tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizing just by viewing technical specs. The graphic underneath might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL8 and K20D.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL8 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh harder and the Olympus E-PL8 will provide you with more detail as a result of its extra 1MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more modern E-PL8 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K20D sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K20D Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K20D Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Portrait photography info
Pentax K20D Portrait photography info
72
has manual focus
megapixel count good (16MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
has face detect focusing
saves RAW files
71
has manual focus
good MP (15 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 as a Street photography camera
Pentax K20D as a Street photography camera
84
has a tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
has touch focus
very good ISO range (25,600)
65
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
environment sealing
fixed screen
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 as a Sports photography camera
Pentax K20D as a Sports photography camera
67
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count good (16MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
has tracking focus
lack of phase detect AF
68
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good MP (15 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
environment sealing
sensor has phase detect autofocus
max frames per second low (3.0 fps)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 as a Travel photography camera
Pentax K20D as a Travel photography camera
71
has touch focus
megapixel count good (16MP)
display isn't selfie friendly
64
environment sealing
good MP (15 megapixels)
flash built-in
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 as a Landscape photography camera
Pentax K20D as a Landscape photography camera
80
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a good size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count good (16MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
very good ISO range (25,600)
saves RAW files
70
has manual focus
switch lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good MP (15MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
environment sealing
small screen (2.7 inch)
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Vlogging details
Pentax K20D Vlogging details
35
touch screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
has face detect focusing
high video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
missing microphone port
9
can't record video
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Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K20D Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax K20D
 Olympus PEN E-PL8Pentax K20D
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus PEN E-PL8 Pentax K20D
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Advanced DSLR
Introduced 2016-09-19 2008-06-25
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VII -
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 15MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Highest Possible resolution 4608 x 3456 4672 x 3104
Maximum native ISO 25600 3200
Maximum enhanced ISO - 6400
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW format
Min enhanced ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points 81 11
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds Pentax KAF2
Total lenses 107 151
Focal length multiplier 2.1 1.5
Screen
Type of display Tilting Fixed Type
Display size 3" 2.7"
Display resolution 1,037k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage - 95 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.64x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 8.0 frames/s 3.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 13.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options no built-in flash Auto, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow, Rear curtain, wireless
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize - 1/180 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) -
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 None
Video file format H.264, Motion JPEG -
Microphone support
Headphone support
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
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 357 gr (0.79 pounds) 800 gr (1.76 pounds)
Dimensions 115 x 67 x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") 142 x 101 x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 65
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.9
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 11.1
DXO Low light rating not tested 639
Other
Battery life 350 shots -
Form of battery Battery Pack -
Battery ID - D-LI50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC card SD/MMC/SDHC card
Card slots Single Single
Price at release $500 $700