Clicky

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax VS20

Portability
86
Imaging
54
Features
76
Overall
62
Olympus PEN E-PL8 front
 
Pentax Optio VS20 front
Portability
90
Imaging
39
Features
35
Overall
37

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax VS20 Key Specs

Olympus E-PL8
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • 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
  • Old Model is Olympus E-PL7
  • Refreshed by Olympus E-PL9
Pentax VS20
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-560mm (F3.1-4.8) lens
  • 235g - 111 x 61 x 38mm
  • Revealed January 2012
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax VS20 Overview

Let's look more in depth at the Olympus E-PL8 versus Pentax VS20, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the VS20 (16MP) is relatively close but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and VS20 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor dimensions.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The E-PL8 was launched 4 years after the VS20 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax VS20 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-PL8 scores against the VS20 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL8 over the Pentax VS20

 E-PL8 VS20 
RevealedSeptember 2016January 2012Newer by 57 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen resolution1037k460kClearer screen (+577k dot)
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax VS20 over the Olympus E-PL8

 VS20 E-PL8 

Common features in the Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax VS20

 E-PL8 VS20 
Focus manually Dial accurate focusing
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen sizing
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax VS20 Physical Comparison

For those who are planning to travel with your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL8 comes with exterior dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Pentax VS20 has measurements of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") having a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL8 versus Pentax VS20 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL8 compared to the VS20.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax VS20 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and VS20 is 86 and 90 respectively.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax VS20 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax VS20 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it's hard to see the gap in sensor dimensions just by viewing specs. The image below might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL8 and VS20.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras have the same megapixel count albeit not the same sensor dimensions. The E-PL8 has the bigger sensor which is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler. The newer E-PL8 will have an advantage in sensor technology.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax VS20 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax VS20 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax VS20 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Portrait photography info
Pentax VS20 Portrait photography info
72
focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports face detect focusing
supports RAW formats
36
you can focus manually
megapixel count decent (16MP)
no manual control
no external flash support
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW files
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Street Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Street photography info
Pentax VS20 Street photography info
84
screen tilts
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
has focus via touch
good high ISO (25,600)
61
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than average (235g)
screen does not articulate
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW files
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-PL8
Sports photography with Pentax VS20
67
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports tracking focus
lack of phase detect AF
44
excellent zoom range (28-560mm 20.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
features tracking autofocus
max fps very slow (1.0 fps)
lack of shutter priority mode
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no phase detect AF
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Travel photography features
Pentax VS20 Travel photography features
71
has focus via touch
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
does not have selfie friendly screen
68
lighter than average (235 grams)
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
built-in flash
pretty wide (28mm)
very long zoom (560mm)
doesn't have Timelapse mode
does not have a selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 as a Landscape photography camera
Pentax VS20 as a Landscape photography camera
80
focusing manually
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
good high ISO (25,600)
supports RAW formats
47
you can focus manually
pretty wide (28mm)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
cannot switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
no manual control
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW files
doesn't have Timelapse mode
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 Vlogging features
Pentax VS20 Vlogging features
35
touchscreen capability
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detect focusing
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does not have selfie friendly screen
doesn't have mic jack
30
pretty wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than average (235g)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
low res video (1280 x 720 pxls)
doesn't have external microphone socket
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax VS20 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax VS20
 Olympus PEN E-PL8Pentax Optio VS20
General Information
Company Olympus Pentax
Model Olympus PEN E-PL8 Pentax Optio VS20
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Introduced 2016-09-19 2012-01-25
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VII -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9
Max resolution 4608 x 3456 4608 x 3456
Max native ISO 25600 6400
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW files
Min enhanced ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 81 3
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 28-560mm (20.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.1-4.8
Macro focus range - 3cm
Amount of lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.9
Screen
Type of screen Tilting Fixed Type
Screen size 3 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 1,037k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen tech - TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) None
Features
Min shutter speed 60 seconds 4 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/2500 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 8.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range no built-in flash 2.80 m
Flash modes no built-in flash Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
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) 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video data format H.264, Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 357 gr (0.79 lbs) 235 gr (0.52 lbs)
Physical dimensions 115 x 67 x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") 111 x 61 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 350 photographs -
Form of battery Battery Pack -
Battery model - D-LI122
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC card SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots One One
Pricing at release $500 $106