Olympus E-PL8 vs Sony HX350

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PL8 versus Sony HX350, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the HX350 (20MP) is fairly close but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and HX350 (1/2.3") posses different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was revealed 3 months before the HX350 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX350 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-PL8 scores against the HX350 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX350. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Sony HX350 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera often, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL8 has got outer measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Sony HX350 has measurements of 130mm x 93mm x 103mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.1") having a weight of 652 grams (1.44 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL8 versus Sony HX350 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL8 compared to the HX350.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and HX350 is 86 and 62 respectively.

Typically, it is very difficult to imagine the gap in sensor sizes simply by looking through specifications. The pic here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL8 and HX350.

To sum up, the two cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL8 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony HX350 will render greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively.