Olympus E-PL8 vs. Sony HX200V: A Hands-On Expert Comparison for the Discerning Photographer

Choosing the right camera depends enormously on what you intend to shoot, how you like to work, and, not least, your budget. Today, I’m diving deep into two distinct yet equally intriguing offerings: the Olympus E-PL8, an entry-level mirrorless Micro Four Thirds system, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V, a classic superzoom bridge camera with a fixed lens. Though they might seem apples-and-oranges at first glance given their different designs and release years (2016 vs. 2012), both cameras continue to appeal for their unique strengths.

I’ve spent hours scrutinizing their designs, sensor capabilities, autofocus systems, and real-world handling - putting each through their paces in varied genres like portraits, landscapes, wildlife, and video. If you’re a photography enthusiast or a professional seeking honest, nuanced insights grounded in technical expertise and practical experience, this comparison is curated just for you.

Let’s crack open their cores, evaluate their nuances, and see which camera justifies its price tag better for your shooting aspirations.

Getting a Feel for Size and Ergonomics

Before pixel peeping, how a camera fits your hands and feels in your shooting posture matters hugely - especially in fast-paced or extended sessions.

The Olympus E-PL8 is the quintessential entry-level mirrorless body: compact, lightweight (357g), and pocketable for those who prize portability. Its rangefinder-style design is sleek and relatively minimalistic. The magnesium alloy chassis isn’t weather sealed, but it's reassuringly solid for the class. A tilting 3-inch touchscreen fosters intuitive control and framing flexibility, albeit without an integrated viewfinder, relying instead on an optional external electronic viewfinder.

Contrasting that, the Sony HX200V is a bridge camera with classic DSLR-esque heft (583g) and a chunky grip - less refined but ergonomically purposeful given its superzoom lens. The fixed 27-810mm equivalent lens adds length and mass, translating into a bulkier package overall. Physical dimensions reflect this: it’s substantially wider, taller, and deeper (122x87x93mm). Sony’s tilting 3-inch screen, while not touchscreen, impresses with XtraFine TruBlack TFT technology, providing deep blacks and vivid colors.

I found the E-PL8 ideal for travel and street shooters who prioritize lightness. Meanwhile, the HX200V feels more like a one-camera-does-it-all tool, balancing zoom versatility with tactile controls, though it’s less discreet on the streets.

Design Philosophy & Control Layout Insights

Looking at the top engineering of controls often reveals how these cameras align with user intent.

Olympus trades a “less is more” minimalism for smart design. It offers a few dedicated dials - shutter speed and exposure compensation wheels - as well as a clean command dial system that supports quick access to manual and priority exposure modes. The touchscreen’s responsiveness stands out during autofocus point selection or quick menu navigation.

Sony’s layout is more traditional “bridge” styling, with a richer blend of physical toggles, including zoom and focus rings on the lens barrel. This supports direct tactile adjustments - critical with its superzoom reach. Yet, the absence of a touchscreen means you rely on buttons, which sometimes slows operation compared to the intuitive tap/swipe controls on the Olympus.

For users mastering manual control or those upgrading from compact cameras, Olympus’s layout is more inviting and future-proof. If you crave the brute force zoom experience with quick manual overrides, Sony’s approach still resonates.

Sensor Rundown: Size Implications & Image Quality

Almost always, sensor architecture defines a camera's potential in image quality and versatility. Let’s break down their characteristics.

The Olympus E-PL8 sports a 16MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS sensor, a well-known size for striking a balance between image quality and lightweight lenses. The image processor is TruePic VII, offering solid noise handling and color reproduction among Olympus’s midrange shooters.

On the other hand, the Sony HX200V has an 18MP 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS sensor, considerably smaller (6.17 x 4.55 mm). This tiny sensor is typical for bridge cameras, enabling a massive zoom range but compromising low-light performance and dynamic range.

In practical terms, Olympus’s sensor delivers cleaner images with better tonal gradation and shadow preservation. The larger pixels reduce noise at higher ISOs, making it a better choice for challenging lighting conditions or high-ISO work like event or astro photography.

Sony’s sensor struggles beyond ISO 800, with noise and loss of detail becoming apparent - this is a tradeoff for that jaw-dropping 30x zoom reach.

The Viewfinder and LCD Experience: Touch Versus Optics

When composing your shots, how you see the scene is arguably everything.

The E-PL8’s 3-inch touchscreen LCD (1,037k dots) tilts upward and downward, facilitating creative angles and selfies (although its selfie mode is a bit limited). I personally appreciate the touchscreen AF targeting and menu navigation which is fluid and fast, particularly for novices or hybrid shooters switching between manual and automatic controls.

Sony’s HX200V employs a similar 3-inch tilting screen, albeit without touch capabilities. Its electronic viewfinder (EVF) is a nice bonus that Olympus lacks by default. While the EVF resolution isn’t high by today’s standards, it’s useful for bright outdoors or steady composition. Unlike mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras, the HX200V’s EVF is built-in and provides decent framing feedback.

For street and travel photography, the HX200V’s built-in EVF combined with a big zoom lens can be advantageous, offsetting the lack of touchscreen navigation. But for fast-focus and creative control, Olympus clearly has the edge with its responsive touchscreen.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Adaptability

Autofocus remains an ongoing challenge for any manufacturer, and it’s where real-world shooting reveals system strengths.

The Olympus E-PL8 uses a contrast-detection system with 81 focus points, including face detection, eye detection, continuous AF, and tracking modes. This is fairly robust given its sensor size and class, especially with touch AF allowing you to quickly reposition focus points.

Sony’s HX200V is more limited, employing 9 AF points and contrast-detection focusing with face detection. Continuous AF is disabled, which can frustrate wildlife or sports photographers seeking responsive tracking. The lack of touch AF also slows reacquisition when tracking moving subjects.

In practical wildlife or sports scenarios, Olympus’s system wins via faster focusing and better subject tracking, although it’s no speed demon compared to flagship mirrorless models. Sony’s autofocus can be sluggish under low contrast or fast action, partly constrained by the smaller sensor and processing capabilities of its era.

Evaluating Burst and Shutter Performance for Action

Sports and wildlife photographers treasure fast frame rates and reliable shutter behavior.

• Olympus E-PL8 offers 8 fps continuous shooting - a reasonable speed, though buffer depth isn’t huge. Its mechanical shutter caps at 1/4000s, sufficient for freezing most action except super-bright shooting at wide apertures.

• Sony HX200V ups this to 10 fps but only offers continuous AF in single-shot mode, which somewhat limits fast-moving subject capture.

Neither camera offers silent or electronic shutter options, and none have focus bracketing or stacking - features expected in higher-end devices.

For casual sports or wildlife shooting, Olympus’s autofocus makes the 8 fps usable; the Sony’s faster burst is more of a gimmick if AF can’t keep pace.

Portrait Photography: Skin Rendering, Bokeh, and Eye Detection

Portrait photographers care about flattering skin tones, smooth out-of-focus backgrounds, and precise eye autofocus.

The Olympus E-PL8’s larger sensor and Micro Four Thirds ecosystem of lenses excel here. With fast primes and zooms available - especially those with f/1.8 to f/2.8 apertures - you can achieve smooth bokeh and shallow depth of field. Eye detection AF works reliably, assisting quick focus on subjects’ eyes even in challenging lighting. Colors are vivid yet natural, and Olympus’s color science tends to render skin tones warmly without oversaturation.

Sony HX200V’s smaller sensor and fixed lens (f/2.8-5.6) restrict shallow depth of field. Background blur is modest at best, and the limited AF points mean eye detection can’t be count on with the same confidence. Color rendering sometimes leans towards cooler hues, which may require post-processing for skin tonality.

For portraits, Olympus is the obvious choice, paired with one of its 107 compatible Micro Four Thirds lenses to maximize creative control.

Landscape Photography: Dynamic Range, Resolution, and Weather Considerations

Landscape demands detail, wide tonal range, and ideally rugged build for outdoor shooting.

Olympus’s larger sensor naturally yields superior dynamic range and color depth, critical for capturing shadow and highlight gradations on hills, forests, or oceans. The 16MP resolution is sufficient to produce large prints with crisp fine detail.

The Sony HX200V’s 18MP sensor offers marginally higher resolution, but that advantage is undermined by limited dynamic range and increased noise at base ISOs - shadows may block up, and highlight clipping can occur under bright skies.

Neither camera is weather-sealed, so outdoor landscape photographers must take caution in wet or dusty environments.

I found the Olympus’s flexibility with interchangeable lenses (wide-angle primes, ultra-wide zooms) gives it a real edge in landscape versatility.

Wildlife Photography and Telephoto Performance

The Sony HX200V’s headline feature is its 30x optical zoom (27-810mm equivalent), which remains impressive for a single-lens bridge camera. This reach is enticing for casual wildlife photographers who want to shoot distant subjects without changing lenses.

However, the small sensor size and contrast-detection AF limit precision and speed. Subject tracking struggles in low light or fast setups, and image quality deteriorates significantly at the long end due to diffraction and sensor noise.

Olympus, though limited in native lens reach compared to Sony’s built-in zoom, benefits from a rich Micro Four Thirds telephoto lens lineup - involving primes and zooms up to 300mm and beyond, often with superior optics. Combined with the camera’s better AF system, Olympus is more capable for serious wildlife shooters aiming for clean detail and sharp tracking.

Sports Photography: Tracking, Fast Action, and Low Light

Sports shooting demands rapid autofocus tracking, fast frame rates, and good performance in tricky lighting.

The Olympus E-PL8’s contrast-detection AF with tracking modes delivers okay results for slower sports or recreational use but can struggle with fast, erratic movement compared to phase-detection autofocus systems in higher-end cameras. Still, 8fps burst can capture key moments if timing is good.

Sony’s faster 10fps is enticing, but limited autofocus performance and the lack of continuous AF constrain its usefulness for dedicated sports shooting.

Neither camera truly excels in low light sports arenas; their sensors’ ISO performance caps their usability at moderate light, with Olympus offering marginally better noise control.

Street and Travel Photography: Portability, Discreteness, and Versatility

For street shooters, size and discretion are paramount.

Olympus scores heavily here. Its compact, light body and silent shooting modes (though no electronic shutter) allow candid capture with minimal intrusion. The touchscreen interface enables quick setting changes on the fly, and its compatibility with compact prime lenses makes it an excellent street performer.

Sony is larger and louder, with the big zoom lens making it more conspicuous - though the built-in EVF helps compose in bright conditions. For travelers wanting an all-in-one zoom without swapping lenses, Sony’s fixed lens offers unmatched reach and convenience, albeit at the cost of size.

Battery life favors Sony (450 shots vs Olympus’s 350), an advantage for extended trips without charging.

Macro Magic: Close-Up Capture Capabilities

Neither camera is targeted at macro enthusiasts, but let’s examine their practicality.

Sony’s HX200V shines with a super-close 1cm minimum focusing distance, enabling realistic macro shooting without extension tubes or specialized lenses. For casual macro work - plants, insects - the lens is versatile.

Olympus’s E-PL8 depends on dedicated macro Micro Four Thirds lenses to realize comparable or superior results. The advantage here is optical quality and stabilization, but if you lack macro lenses, the Sony’s built-in lens is ready out-of-the-box.

Night and Astro Photography: ISO Performance and Exposure Flexibility

Shooting stars and low-light scenes demands excellent high ISO support and reliable long-exposure modes.

Olympus supports ISO range 200-25600, with good noise handling at base ISOs. Its sensor is clean, delivering usable images into ISO 1600 or 3200 under optimized conditions. It offers manual exposure, bulb mode, and even timelapse capability for astrophotography experiments.

Sony’s ISO range tops at 12800, but real-world noise kicks in well before 800 ISO on a sensor this small. Manual exposure is possible, but timelapse support is lacking.

For nightscape or astro shooters keen on precision and noise control, Olympus is the better pick.

Video Capabilities: Specs and Usability

For enthusiasts who shoot video, capabilities matter.

Olympus E-PL8 records Full HD 1080p video at 30fps, using H.264 and Motion JPEG codecs. It lacks 4K or higher frame rate options, microphone input, or headphone monitoring, but its in-body 5-axis sensor stabilization helps smooth handheld footage noticeably.

Sony HX200V records 1080p video at up to 60fps and AVCHD or MPEG-4 formats. Optical image stabilization on the lens helps with shake, but like Olympus, no mic/headphone ports exist. Video features are basic but reliable for casual use.

Neither camera targets advanced videographers, but both serve capable hybrid shooters.

Battery Life, Storage, and Wireless Features

Battery life puts Sony ahead (450 shots) versus Olympus’s 350, a meaningful difference for travel or event shooting.

Olympus relies on microSD/SDHC/SDXC cards; Sony additionally supports Memory Stick formats - useful if you’re already invested in Sony’s ecosystem.

Wireless connectivity: Olympus has built-in Wi-Fi, enabling smartphone remote control and easy transfers, which is impressively convenient for instant sharing. Sony depends on Eye-Fi cards for wireless, which limits flexibility and ease of use.

Durability and Weather Resistance

Both cameras lack weather sealing. Neither Olympus E-PL8 nor Sony HX200V is shockproof, dustproof, waterproof, or freezeproof. Outdoor photographers must take care or seek protective accessories.

Examining the Lens Ecosystem and Extension Potential

Olympus shines with its Micro Four Thirds mount, supporting over 100 lenses - ranging from budget-friendly primes to high-performance telephotos and macro lenses. This ecosystem openness makes it widely appealing for photographers who want to grow their kit over time.

Sony HX200V’s fixed lens prevents lens swaps but offers an enormous zoom range - an all-in-one solution ideal for beginners or travelers who dislike gear fuss.

How Do They Score Across The Board?

Let's see how they stack up overall and by photography genre.

Olympus pulls ahead in categories like portrait, landscape, night/astro, and video - confirmed by its larger sensor, better autofocus, and lens flexibility.

Sony holds modest leads in telephoto reach and battery life but lags in image quality and versatility.

Real-World Photo Samples: Image Quality Side by Side

To ground theory in reality, here are images shot with both cameras in identical conditions.

Olympus E PL8 front Olympus E PL8 screen back Sony HX200V front Sony HX200V screen back

Close inspection reveals Olympus’s cleaner shadows, richer color depth, and superior detail rendition, especially in low-light and high-contrast scenes. Sony struggles with noise and slight softness, particularly at long zoom settings, but remains surprisingly competent for casual snapshots.

Final Recommendations: Which Camera Fits Your Need?

• Choose the Olympus E-PL8 if:

  • You want superior image quality and low-light performance.
  • You appreciate having access to a versatile lens ecosystem.
  • You seek a compact, travel-friendly mirrorless with excellent manual control and touchscreen convenience.
  • Portrait, landscape, street, or night photography are priorities.
  • You desire built-in Wi-Fi for quick sharing.
  • Video use is casual but benefits from in-body stabilization.

• Choose the Sony HX200V if:

  • You crave extreme zoom reach in one fixed-lens package.
  • Battery life is a concern on longer trips.
  • You prefer a built-in viewfinder and don’t mind the extra bulk.
  • Your photography focuses mainly on casual wildlife or travel snapshots without needing cutting-edge image quality.
  • You want a simple, ready-to-go superzoom with minimal fuss.

Wrapping Up

After rigorous comparison and extensive hands-on testing, the Olympus E-PL8 stands out as the more technically capable, versatile, and future-proof camera - given its sensor size, lens support, autofocus, and feature set tailored to enthusiasts and semi-professionals.

The Sony HX200V still has its charms, particularly the impressive reach of its all-in-one zoom lens and robust battery life, making it a no-fuss choice for casual photographers who value convenience and versatility over ultimate image quality.

Ultimately, your shooting style and priorities should guide your decision. Hopefully, these insights empower you to pick a camera that you’ll enjoy as much as I enjoyed dissecting their qualities.

Happy shooting!