Olympus E-PL8 vs Sony RX100 II

Following is a in depth analysis of the Olympus E-PL8 and Sony RX100 II, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the RX100 II (20MP) is relatively similar but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and RX100 II (1") possess totally different sensor sizes.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The E-PL8 was unveiled 3 years after the RX100 II which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving through a in depth comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-PL8 scores vs the RX100 II for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Sony RX100 II Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL8 comes with outside measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") and a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Sony RX100 II has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 281 grams (0.62 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL8 and Sony RX100 II in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at that moment. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL8 versus the RX100 II.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and RX100 II is 86 and 89 respectively.

Typically, it is very difficult to visualise the difference between sensor sizes just by reading technical specs. The picture here will help give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL8 and RX100 II.

As you have seen, both of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL8 having a bigger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Sony RX100 II will deliver greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The younger E-PL8 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.