Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax W90

The following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax W90, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Waterproof by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and W90 (12MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and W90 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was released 6 years after the W90 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax W90 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a in depth comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-PL8 matches up against the W90 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Pentax Optio W90. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Pentax W90 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL8 enjoys physical measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Pentax W90 has proportions of 108mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") with a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax W90 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PL8 compared to the W90.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and W90 is 86 and 94 respectively.

Quite often, it can be tough to picture the contrast in sensor dimensions only by seeing technical specs. The pic underneath may give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and W90.

As you have seen, both of those cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL8 because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL8 will show more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images much more aggressively. The more recent E-PL8 provides an advantage with regard to sensor technology.