Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax P80

The following is a in-depth comparison of the Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax P80, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and P80 (12MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and P80 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was announced 7 years after the P80 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax P80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the E-PL8 grades against the P80 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Pentax Optio P80. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Pentax P80 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL8 comes with physical 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) and the Pentax P80 has sizing of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax P80 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL8 vs the P80.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and P80 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is tough to see the gap in sensor dimensions just by seeing technical specs. The picture here should give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL8 and P80.

As you can tell, the two cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL8 having a bigger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PL8 will show greater detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots much more aggressively. The more modern E-PL8 is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.