Olympus E-PL8 vs Sony A380

Here is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-PL8 and Sony A380, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the A380 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and A380 (APS-C) offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL8 was released 7 years later than the A380 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-PL8 grades against the A380 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Sony A380 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera often, you will need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL8 comes with 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 Sony A380 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL8 and Sony A380 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with at the time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PL8 and the A380.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and A380 is 86 and 68 respectively.

Generally, it is tough to imagine the difference between sensor sizing only by checking a spec sheet. The graphic below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and A380.

Clearly, each of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL8 because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Olympus E-PL8 will give you greater detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos way more aggressively. The more modern E-PL8 provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.