Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic SZ8

The following is a thorough overview of the Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic SZ8, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and SZ8 (16MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and SZ8 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The PEN-F was revealed 2 years after the SZ8 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ8 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a brief summary of how the PEN-F scores versus the SZ8 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8. The full galleries are available at Olympus PEN-F Gallery and Panasonic SZ8 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus PEN-F enjoys outer measurements of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") and a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ8 has dimensions of 100mm x 60mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check out the Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic SZ8 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have attached at that time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the PEN-F compared to the SZ8.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the PEN-F and SZ8 is 84 and 94 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to envision the difference between sensor dimensions only by going over specifications. The image below should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the PEN-F and SZ8.

To sum up, each of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The PEN-F having a larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus PEN-F will offer extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics a little more aggressively. The newer PEN-F is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.