Olympus E-PL8 vs Sony H55

In this article, we will be comparing the Olympus E-PL8 vs Sony H55, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the H55 (14MP) is pretty close but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and H55 (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was launched 6 years later than the H55 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony H55 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a full comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-PL8 matches up against the H55 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Sony H55 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL8 has got exterior dimensions 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 Sony H55 has dimensions of 103mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL8 vs Sony H55 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at the time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL8 and the H55.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and H55 is 86 and 92 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to picture the gap in sensor measurements just by viewing technical specs. The visual here might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL8 and H55.

As you can tell, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL8 due to its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PL8 will render extra detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The younger E-PL8 should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.