Olympus E-PL8 vs Sony HX20V

Below is a extensive comparison of the Olympus E-PL8 versus Sony HX20V, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the HX20V (18MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and HX20V (1/2.3") possess different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL8 was announced 4 years later than the HX20V and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX20V being a Compact camera.

Before delving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-PL8 scores vs the HX20V with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Sony HX20V Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera often, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL8 enjoys exterior dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Sony HX20V has dimensions of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL8 versus Sony HX20V in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL8 compared to the HX20V.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL8 and HX20V is 86 and 90 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to imagine the gap in sensor measurements only by checking out a spec sheet. The visual below might give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL8 and HX20V.

Clearly, the two cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL8 having a larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Sony HX20V will produce greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The more recent E-PL8 should have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.