Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax WG-1 GPS

Its time to examine more closely at the Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax WG-1 GPS, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Waterproof by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the WG-1 GPS (14MP) is very well matched but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and WG-1 GPS (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was manufactured 5 years later than the WG-1 GPS and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax WG-1 GPS being a Compact camera.

Before we go in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-PL8 scores against the WG-1 GPS with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Pentax Optio WG-1 GPS. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Pentax WG-1 GPS Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL8 provides outer measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") and a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Pentax WG-1 GPS has proportions of 116mm x 59mm x 29mm (4.6" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax WG-1 GPS in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL8 against the WG-1 GPS.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and WG-1 GPS is 86 and 93 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to picture the difference between sensor measurements purely by checking specifications. The photograph underneath will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and WG-1 GPS.

To sum up, both the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL8 featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL8 will give greater detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images much more aggressively. The more modern E-PL8 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.