Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax WS80

Here, we will be looking at the Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax WS80, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Waterproof by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and WS80 (10MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and WS80 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL9 was brought out 8 years after the WS80 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax WS80 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a thorough comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-PL9 scores vs the WS80 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Pentax Optio WS80. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Pentax WS80 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera, you have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL9 comes with exterior dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Pentax WS80 has dimensions of 92mm x 60mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.4" x 0.9") and a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax WS80 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you select at that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL9 versus the WS80.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and WS80 is 85 and 95 respectively.

Typically, its hard to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions merely by going through technical specs. The picture here will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and WS80.

As you have seen, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL9 because of its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL9 will show more detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more modern E-PL9 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.