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Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax Q-S1 Comparison

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Olympus E-PL8

16 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-PL8
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Pentax Q-S1

12 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Pentax Q-S1
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Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax Q-S1 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing the E-PL8 and the Q-S1, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras from Olympus and Pentax. Olympus E-PL8 was introduced to the market in September 2016 and Pentax Q-S1 was launched in August 2014. As you can see, Q-S1 is 2 years older than E-PL8. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus E-PL8 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-09-19
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 100)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 8.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 357g. 115 x 67 x 38 mm
  • Replaced Olympus PEN E-PL7 Compare

Pentax Q-S1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-08-04
  • 12MP - 1/1.7' BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Pentax Q Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 5.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 203g. 105 x 58 x 34 mm

Olympus E-PL8 was replaced by Olympus PEN E-PL8. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus PEN E-PL8 vs Olympus PEN E-PL8
Olympus PEN E-PL8 vs Pentax Q-S1

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Olympus PEN E-PL8 over Pentax Q-S1
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
LCD Resolution
1.037k dots vs 460k dots 125% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
8.0fps vs 5.0fps 3 fps faster
Battery Life
350 shots vs 250 shots 100 more frames with a single charge
Sensor Pixel Area
14.12µm2 vs 3.46µm2 308% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
CHECK E-PL8 PRICE


Reasons to choose Pentax Q-S1 over Olympus PEN E-PL8
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Weight
203 g vs 357 g 154 g lighter
CHECK Q-S1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax Q-S1: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus E-PL8 has external dimensions of 115 x 67 x 38 mm (4.53 x 2.64 x 1.5″) and weighs 357 g (0.79 lb / 12.59 oz) (including batteries). Pentax Q-S1 has external dimensions of 105 x 58 x 34 mm (4.13 x 2.28 x 1.34″) and weighs 203 g (0.45 lb / 7.16 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Olympus E-PL8 and the Pentax Q-S1. Pentax Q-S1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 10mm narrower, 9mm shorter and 4mm thinner than Olympus E-PL8.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax Q-S1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of the Olympus E-PL8 and the Pentax Q-S1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of the Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax Q-S1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of the Olympus E-PL8 and the Pentax Q-S1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1.
Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax Q-S1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of the Olympus E-PL8 and the the Pentax Q-S1 Size

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax Q-S1 is significantly lighter (154g ) than the Olympus E-PL8 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you also have to take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-PL8
Q-S1
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-PL8
Q-S1
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither the Olympus PEN E-PL8 nor Pentax Q-S1 provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.

On the other hand, Olympus E-PL8 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels whereas the Pentax Q-S1 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-PL8.


Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax Q-S1: Sensor Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VII processor. On the other hand, Pentax Q-S1 has a 12.0MP 1/1.7' (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Q Engine processor.

Below you can see the E-PL8 and Q-S1 sensor size comparison.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax Q-S1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1 Cameras


As seen above, Olympus E-PL8 has a 5.4x Larger sensor area than Pentax Q-S1. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax Q-S1 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

The number of available lenses is a big deciding factor when choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that the Olympus E-PL8 has an advantage over the Pentax Q-S1. There are 121 lenses for the Olympus E-PL8's Micro Four Thirds mount, but on the other hand, there are only 8 lenses for the Pentax Q-S1's Pentax Q lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1 have Sensor-based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies. E-PL8's built-in Image stabilization system is effective for compensating vibration up to 3.5-stops according to CIPA standards.

Lens Type # of Olympus E-PL8 Lenses # of Pentax Q-S1 Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 1
Standard Prime 15 2
Wideangle Zoom 6 1
Wideangle Prime 32 1
Telephoto Zoom 19 1
Telephoto Prime 11 1
SuperZoom 8 n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 1
Macro Prime 5 n/a
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 121 8

What types of Photography are Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Olympus E-PL8 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Pentax Q-S1 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Olympus E-PL8 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax Q-S1 for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Olympus E-PL8 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Pentax Q-S1 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
81 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
Read the details

Olympus E-PL8 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax Q-S1 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
357g
Read the details
203g
Medium size Body
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Olympus E-PL8 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax Q-S1 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax Q-S1: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far, but in case you wonder how we rated Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax Q-S1 scores compare:

Olympus E-PL8
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #38 out of 135 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #226 out of 1260 in all Cameras
Pentax Q-S1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #63 out of 135 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #329 out of 1260 in all Cameras

Olympus E-PL8 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Pentax Q-S1 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Olympus E-PL8.

Olympus E-PL8
Olympus E-PL8
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Pentax Q-S1
Pentax Q-S1
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Pentax Q-S1 vs Olympus E-PL8 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus PEN E-PL8 Pentax Q-S1
Brand Olympus Pentax
Announced 2016-09-19 2014-08-04
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Four Thirds 1/1.7'
Dimensions 17.3 x 13 mm 7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area 224.90mm2 41.52mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 12 Megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 100 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 81 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Pentax Q
Number of Available Lenses 121 8
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,037k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 4.90 m (at ISO 100)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 8.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 357g 203g
Dimensions 115 x 67 x 38mm 105 x 58 x 34mm
Battery Life 350 shots 250 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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