Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax W80

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-PL8 versus Pentax W80, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and W80 (12MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and W80 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was manufactured 7 years after the W80 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax W80 being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-PL8 matches up vs the W80 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Pentax Optio W80. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Pentax W80 Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL8 enjoys external dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Pentax W80 has proportions of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL8 versus Pentax W80 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL8 against the W80.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and W80 is 86 and 94 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to envision the difference between sensor dimensions just by reviewing specifications. The image here will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL8 and W80.

Plainly, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL8 due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL8 will deliver extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The fresher E-PL8 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.