Olympus E-PL8 vs Samsung MV800

Following is a complete review of the Olympus E-PL8 and Samsung MV800, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Samsung. The resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the MV800 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and MV800 (1/2.3") come with different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL8 was unveiled 5 years after the MV800 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Samsung MV800 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a in depth comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-PL8 scores vs the MV800 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Samsung MV800. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Samsung MV800 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry around your camera often, you will want to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL8 has outer 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) while the Samsung MV800 has proportions of 92mm x 56mm x 10mm (3.6" x 2.2" x 0.4") with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL8 and Samsung MV800 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising at that time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL8 compared to the MV800.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL8 and MV800 is 86 and 97 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizes merely by checking specifications. The pic below may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and MV800.

To sum up, each of the cameras offer the same exact megapixels but different sensor sizes. The E-PL8 has got the larger sensor which is going to make achieving shallower DOF simpler. The younger E-PL8 should have an advantage in sensor tech.