Olympus E-PL8 vs Sony A390

Here is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-PL8 versus Sony A390, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the A390 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and A390 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The E-PL8 was manufactured 6 years later than the A390 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PL8 scores vs the A390 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Sony A390 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL8 comes with physical 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) while the Sony A390 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") having a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL8 versus Sony A390 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PL8 versus the A390.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and A390 is 86 and 66 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is difficult to see the gap in sensor sizing just by looking through specs. The photograph underneath will give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL8 and A390.

All in all, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL8 due to its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Olympus E-PL8 will render more detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images far more aggressively. The younger E-PL8 will have a benefit in sensor innovation.