E-PL8 vs E-P5 in 2018?

ageminmo wrote:

I have searched the forum but it was also comparing PEN-F to these two, of course most people prefer PEN-F. Unfortunately, as much as I love the PEN-F, it is too big for me. If price is not a problem, what would you advice me to get?

I am thinking that E-P5 is better because of its 5-axis IBIS? Or it is worse than E-PL8 since it's IBIS is outdated? I also don't plan to use EVF.

And I am also not interested in panasonic bodies, I recently bought a used e-PL5 just to test the waters and I was fascinated by olympus colors (compared to my GM1/GM5).

The E-P5 has as good an IBIS as anyone needs for general photography, that coupled with f/2.8 zoom lenses has allowed me to stop carrying tripods on holidays. I can reliably get 4.5 stops of stabilisation, and on one occasion 5.5 stops reliably, but seem more like 4.5 now being a little older. Stabilisation depends mostly on the user, so we all get different results.

The much needed zero second anti-shock was added with a firmware update.

The E-PL8 does have the interesting Live Composite, where the E-P5 has the earlier TruePic chip so misses out, it still has Live Time though, but I never seem to use it.

The E-PL8 uses the same batteries as the E-PL5, the E-P5 uses a different battery, the one used in most of the OM-D models.

Some other details on my Timeline page http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~parsog/olyepl1/80-Oly-timeline.html

Some help with E-P5 menus at http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~parsog/olyepl1/56-ep5-custom-menus.html where I've "translated" the manual a bit better.

As for me, happy as ever with two E-P5 and nothing since then has had any attraction for me. Mainly as I use tilt screen only and can't handle those flippy out sideways things.

Regards......... Guy

I thought the size difference between the Pen-F and the E-P5 are only a few mm's.

But I would choose the E-P5 over the E-PL8 between the two.

wolfychi wrote:

I thought the size difference between the Pen-F and the E-P5 are only a few mm's.

But I would choose the E-P5 over the E-PL8 between the two.

Size is close... (from the specs in the user manuals)....

................Width................Height........Thickness.............Weight

E-P5......122.3mm..........68.7mm.........37.2mm...........420grams

Pen-F.....124.8mm.........72.1mm..........37.3mm..........427grams

E-PL8.....117.1mm.........68.3mm..........38.4mm..........374grams

Of course for me as a screen only user, the flip-out sideways screen of the Pen-F makes it a lot wider (I need a tilt screen), liable to hit things if not careful. So not for me.

Regards.......... Guy

ageminmo wrote:

I have searched the forum but it was also comparing PEN-F to these two, of course most people prefer PEN-F. Unfortunately, as much as I love the PEN-F, it is too big for me. If price is not a problem, what would you advice me to get?

I am thinking that E-P5 is better because of its 5-axis IBIS? Or it is worse than E-PL8 since it's IBIS is outdated? I also don't plan to use EVF.

And I am also not interested in panasonic bodies, I recently bought a used e-PL5 just to test the waters and I was fascinated by olympus colors (compared to my GM1/GM5).

I had both cameras. Actually I had 2 E-P5 and 2 Pen F cameras

Ergonomically E-P5 is a better camera + it does have a tilt screen that I prefer.

I think that E-P5 is the best Pen camera ever made BUT BUT BUT it has 1 very serious problem (that's why I sold both of my E-P5s):

Failing top wheels. After some time, sooner or later they stop registering your aperture, exposore changes. It is a manufecuring deffect. Both of my cameras started to exhibit this issue. First camera was fixed as a warranty fix. But a second camera cost me something like 150 Eur for a fix !

Dunsun wrote:

I had both cameras. Actually I had 2 E-P5 and 2 Pen F cameras

Ergonomically E-P5 is a better camera + it does have a tilt screen that I prefer.

I think that E-P5 is the best Pen camera ever made BUT BUT BUT it has 1 very serious problem (that's why I sold both of my E-P5s):

Failing top wheels. After some time, sooner or later they stop registering your aperture, exposore changes. It is a manufecuring deffect. Both of my cameras started to exhibit this issue. First camera was fixed as a warranty fix. But a second camera cost me something like 150 Eur for a fix !

Well that is so variable.

I bought two E-P5 about 7 months apart (in 2014+2015), the first one's dials died on its first big holiday, went from twitchy to dead wheels over a few weeks. Reverted to E-PL1 style button pressing with no problems.

That one fixed under warranty, extensive use since and no more problems.

The second one had a slightly earlier serial number than the first one and no problems whatsoever after much use.

So for me 50% reliability when new, but 100% reliability afterwards.

If they fail again I would not worry as I was well trained in button pressing when I used the E-PL1.

Regards........ Guy

Guy Parsons wrote:

Dunsun wrote:

I had both cameras. Actually I had 2 E-P5 and 2 Pen F cameras

Ergonomically E-P5 is a better camera + it does have a tilt screen that I prefer.

I think that E-P5 is the best Pen camera ever made BUT BUT BUT it has 1 very serious problem (that's why I sold both of my E-P5s):

Failing top wheels. After some time, sooner or later they stop registering your aperture, exposore changes. It is a manufecuring deffect. Both of my cameras started to exhibit this issue. First camera was fixed as a warranty fix. But a second camera cost me something like 150 Eur for a fix !

Well that is so variable.

I bought two E-P5 about 7 months apart (in 2014+2015), the first one's dials died on its first big holiday, went from twitchy to dead wheels over a few weeks. Reverted to E-PL1 style button pressing with no problems.

That one fixed under warranty, extensive use since and no more problems.

The second one had a slightly earlier serial number than the first one and no problems whatsoever after much use.

So for me 50% reliability when new, but 100% reliability afterwards.

If they fail again I would not worry as I was well trained in button pressing when I used the E-PL1.

Regards........ Guy

Mine was having the dial problem, both front and back wheels, and out of warranty, luckily for me, only cost me about $25USD to get it fixed in Bangkok's Olympus service center. now it's working fine for almost two years with no problem. 

Of all the digital cameras I've owned this past decade, the EP-5 seems to be the only one for which I struggle to find a compelling reason to upgrade. Save for the wheel issue (two trips back and it finally seems resolved) it really is a design and photo tool masterpiece. Once you've set it up, it just does it's job beautifully and without fuss. Expect I'll have it as my main camera for some years to come. Would love the Pen F with it's in body EVF, but at those prices... nyahhh.

'To live outside the law you've got to be honest'. R. Zimmerman.

Denisio Fabuloso wrote:

Of all the digital cameras I've owned this past decade, the EP-5 seems to be the only one for which I struggle to find a compelling reason to upgrade. Save for the wheel issue (two trips back and it finally seems resolved) it really is a design and photo tool masterpiece. Once you've set it up, it just does it's job beautifully and without fuss. Expect I'll have it as my main camera for some years to come. Would love the Pen F with it's in body EVF, but at those prices... nyahhh.

Likewise for me, the E-P5 is my "final" system camera, for now. Can't see anything else that would do things better for my simple needs.

Sure it would be nicer to have a true E-P6, the same E-P5 body but with the newest TruePic chip to get things like Live Composite working. But it must still be a tilt screen as those flippy out sideways things just do not work for me. The Pen-F doesn't do it for me as I never use EVF any more and rely on a tilted screen.

As for E-P5 new, I see that Digidirect now doesn't show them any more, they were there up until a week or two back at Oz$499.

Originally, years back, I was determined to wait until Oly came out with a global shutter camera, but soon saw that would be a very long wait. Now of course with the collapsing camera market causing manufacturers to tread very carefully and to not get very excited about wasting too many Yen/$$$ on R&D if there's going to be no long term reward.

So for me it's E-P5 forever, plus a mix of Oly, Pana and Samyang lenses.

As a side issue, I finally updated my Mode dial top.... here's the source file reduced....

1/2/3/4 for the assigned MySets and 1/2/3 reserved for a set that stays the same but used for varying light condition with 1 for good light and 3 for dark and 2 for somewhere in between. 4 reserved for fiddling, may usually be set M mode MySet for flash work.

Printed as a disk 15mm diameter on a Brother plastic tape label printer that handles up to 24mm tapes.

Regards......... Guy

Love the modified mode setting. You are a clever beggar. What an excellent idea this is. Have done pretty much the same re Mysets... but have just assigned them to PASM as per usual. The flexibility of the Olympus system is quite extraordinary really. The Mysets are brilliant. Can be a headful in the beginning, but once you get your setup realized... its a dream.

I bought a Panasonic GX850 on a whim as a small backup camera. The 12-35 lens attached made the camera body less than $100. I thought it was a cheapish way of getting a 12mm small-ish wide lens onboard. Alas the camera was not quite small enough for my intentions. (But still smallest 4/3's body available). I could also just not warm to the interface and handling. I would always find I would have to fiddle with it and relearn basics just to get started shooting. (My basic go to is manual). I can pick up the EP-5 at anytime and be shooting in seconds. Nothing wrong with image quality - it even has 4k movie shooting - but I still cant dredge up much love for it.

I ended up getting a Canon G9X (on special at J&B) with 1" sensor. Damn... I really like this little gem. Small and easy to use. Very pocketable. Excellent touch screen interface. Terrific images. So there you go. Funny business camera bodies... aren't they? D.

'To live outside the law you've got to be honest'. R. Zimmerman.