Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic ZS8

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PM2 and Panasonic ZS8, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PM2 (16MP) and the ZS8 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and ZS8 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PM2 was released 23 months after the ZS8 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a complete comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-PM2 matches up vs the ZS8 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery and Panasonic ZS8 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PM2 enjoys outside dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS8 has dimensions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PM2 and Panasonic ZS8 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PM2 vs the ZS8.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM2 and ZS8 is 89 and 92 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes simply by researching a spec sheet. The pic below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PM2 and ZS8.

Clearly, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PM2 due to its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PM2 will render more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The fresher E-PM2 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.