Canon 100D versus Olympus E-PL8

The Canon EOS 100D (called Canon SL1 in some regions) and the Olympus PEN E-PL8 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in March 2013 and September 2016. The 100D is a DSLR, while the E-PL8 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on an APS-C (100D) and a Four Thirds (E-PL8) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 17.9 megapixel, whereas the Olympus provides 15.9 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 100D vs Olympus E-PL8

The physical size and weight of the Canon 100D and the Olympus E-PL8 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also use the toggle button to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left side – the 100D – represents the basis for the calculations across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-PL8 is notably smaller (28 percent) than the Canon 100D. Moreover, the E-PL8 is markedly lighter (12 percent) than the 100D. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the 100D nor the E-PL8 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. A larger imaging sensor will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, although exceptions exist. You can find an overview of optics for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (100D) and the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog (E-PL8). Mirrorless cameras, such as the E-PL8, have moreover the advantage that they can use many lenses from other systems via adapters, as they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance.

Concerning battery life, the 100D gets 380 shots out of its LP-E12 battery, while the E-PL8 can take 350 images on a single charge of its BLS-50 power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison: Canon 100D vs Olympus E-PL8

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 100D features an APS-C sensor and the Olympus E-PL8 a Four Thirds sensor. The sensor area in the E-PL8 is 32 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 2.0. The sensor in the 100D has a native 3:2 aspect ratio, while the one in the E-PL8 offers a 4:3 aspect.

With 17.9MP, the 100D offers a higher resolution than the E-PL8 (15.9MP), but the 100D nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.31μm versus 3.76μm for the E-PL8) due to its larger sensor. However, the E-PL8 is a somewhat more recent model (by 3 years and 6 months) than the 100D, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/30p).

Feature comparison: Canon 100D vs Olympus E-PL8

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the 100D has an optical viewfinder, which can be very useful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the E-PL8 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon 100D, the Olympus E-PL8, and comparable cameras. The full specs-sheets can be found in the camera manual or, for example, in the dpreview camera hub.

Both the 100D and the E-PL8 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on eBay. The 100D was replaced by the Canon 200D, while the E-PL8 was followed by the Olympus E-PL9.

Review summary: Canon 100D vs Olympus E-PL8

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon 100D and the Olympus E-PL8? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS 100D:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (17.9 vs 15.9MP) with a 8% higher linear resolution.
• Easier framing: Has an optical viewfinder for image framing and settings control.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in March 2013).

Arguments in favor of the Olympus PEN E-PL8:

• More flexible LCD: Has a tilting screen for odd-angle shots in landscape orientation.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (8 vs 4.9 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More compact: Is smaller (115x67mm vs 117x91mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 50g or 12 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can use many non-native lenses via adapters.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology build-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 6 months of technical progress since the 100D launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the E-PL8 emerges as the winner of the match-up (7 : 4 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the 100D or the E-PL8 handle or perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The full reviews are available by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review scores
Camera							Camera Launch (year)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (amazon)	Used Price (ebay)
	Canon 100D (⇒ rgt)	Rec	78/100 Gold	4/5	4/5	4/5	2013	549	discont.	check
	Olympus E-PL8 (⇒ lft)	-	-	4.5/5	-	4/5	2016	549	discont.	check
	Canon 200D (⇒ lft | rgt)	HiRec	78/100 Silver	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	2017	549	latest	check
	Canon 1200D (⇒ lft | rgt)	4/5	-	4/5	4/5	4.5/5	2014	449	discont.	check
	Canon 700D (⇒ lft | rgt)	-	76/100 Silver	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	2013	649	discont.	check
	Canon 70D (⇒ lft | rgt)	HiRec	83/100 Gold	4.5/5	4.5/5	5/5	2013	1,199	discont.	check
	Canon G16 (⇒ lft | rgt)	Rec	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	2013	549	latest	check
	Canon M (⇒ lft | rgt)	Rec	-	4/5	3.5/5	4/5	2012	599	discont.	check
	Canon 650D (⇒ lft | rgt)	HiRec	77/100 Silver	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	2012	849	discont.	check
	Canon 600D (⇒ lft | rgt)	reviewed	77/100 Silver	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	2011	599	discont.	check
	Canon 500D (⇒ lft | rgt)	88/100 HiRec	74/100 HiRec	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	2009	799	discont.	check
	Olympus E-PL9 (⇒ lft | rgt)	..	..	4.5/5	..	4/5	2018	549	latest	check
	Olympus E-M10 III (⇒ lft | rgt)	Rec	80/100	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	2017	649	latest	check
	Olympus E-M10 II (⇒ lft | rgt)	HiRec	80/100 Silver	5/5	5/5	5/5	2015	799	discont.	check
	Olympus E-PL7 (⇒ lft | rgt)	Rec	-	5/5	4.5/5	4/5	2014	599	discont.	check
	Olympus E-PL6 (⇒ lft | rgt)	-	-	-	-	-	2013	599	discont.	check
	Panasonic G6 (⇒ lft | rgt)	HiRec	-	5/5	-	4.5/5	2013	599	discont.	check

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool. If you cannot find the camera you are interested in, please contact me, and I will try to update the database with the necessary infos.

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