Olympus E-PL8: A Comprehensive Overview

The Olympus E-PL8 is a versatile and stylish mirrorless camera that caters to both photography enthusiasts and casual users. Known for its compact design and impressive features, this camera is part of Olympus's PEN series, which is celebrated for blending vintage aesthetics with modern technology.

Key Features

Design and Build

The E-PL8 boasts a sleek and retro-inspired design, making it an attractive choice for those who appreciate both form and function. Its compact body is made of high-quality materials, providing durability while maintaining a lightweight feel. The camera is available in several colors, including black, white, and brown, allowing users to select one that matches their personal style.

Image Quality

Equipped with a 16.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor and TruePic VII image processor, the E-PL8 delivers stunning image quality with vibrant colors and excellent detail. This combination ensures quick processing speeds and superior performance in various lighting conditions.

Lens Compatibility

The E-PL8 is part of the Micro Four Thirds system, which means it is compatible with a wide range of lenses. This flexibility allows photographers to experiment with different styles, from wide-angle landscapes to close-up portraits.

User-Friendly Features

Touchscreen and LCD

The camera features a 3-inch tilting LCD touchscreen, which is perfect for framing shots from creative angles. The touchscreen interface is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy to navigate through settings and menus.

Built-in Wi-Fi

With built-in Wi-Fi, the E-PL8 allows for seamless connectivity. Users can easily transfer photos to their smartphones or tablets for quick sharing on social media or remote shooting through the Olympus Image Share app.

Art Filters and Creative Modes for the non-RAW shooter

The E-PL8 includes a variety of art filters and creative modes, enabling photographers to add unique effects to their images without the need for post-processing. These features encourage creativity and experimentation, making photography a fun and engaging experience.

Performance

The E-PL8 excels in delivering fast and reliable performance. Its autofocus system is quick and accurate, ensuring sharp images even in dynamic situations. The camera also offers a continuous shooting speed of up to 8.5 frames per second, which is ideal for capturing fast-moving subjects.

Conclusion

The Olympus E-PL8 is a well-rounded camera that offers a blend of style, functionality, and performance. Its user-friendly features and excellent image quality make it suitable for photographers of all levels. Whether you're an amateur looking to explore the world of photography or a seasoned photographer in need of a compact travel companion, the E-PL8 is a solid choice.

Olympus E-PL8

Weight: 374 g

Size: 118 x 68 x 38 mm

Sensor: 16 MP CMOS sensor

Lens: Interchangeable

Cards: 1 x SD slot

IBIS: 3-axis sensor-shift only

Price: Used €350 approx.


Test images taken with the Olympus E-PL8 camera

All images taken with the Panasonic Lumix 35-100 f4-5.6

This is an excellent lens and I have literally taken this lens with me all over Europe. I've used it to take thousands of images and it's just as sharp today as the day I bought it. The reason I say that is because the build quality isn't top notch. It's all plastic and very light. Having said that I'm certain I would hate it if the weight was nearing 1Kg+. You have to extend the lens when turning the camera on, but even then it's really a small lens. I can only recommend this lens to any MFT photographer; cheap and really sharp. Image below shows it mounted to a Panasonic GM5 and you know how small that camera is. This lens can be bought for around €85 on the used market.

After reviewing these images I can still highly recommend this camera today. These images look amazing to me. You can even mount an VF-2 or VF-4 external EVF to it. It's small and light, you don't even realise your carrying the camera. I can assure you I'll be using this again in the near future. This is perfect for city visits in my opinion. 

I'm a great fan of the battery used in this camera (BLS-5/50), the same battery Olympus used throughout their cameras. Now that OM have taken over you have a new battery but for me the older one held it's charge for a very long time and I only need one battery when going out for a day.