Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7

Cameras
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Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7

4/3 224.9mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-M1 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the E-M1.

35mm 855.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7.
Compare Sony A7 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Olympus E-M1 II
Compare E-M1 vs E-M1 II

Succeeded by the Sony A7 II
Compare A7 vs A7 II

Compare OLYMPUS E-M1 II vs SONY A7 II

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Differences

Olympus E-M1 advantages over Sony A7

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.80 vs 2.1 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Less shutter lag
0.14 vs 0.23 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
9.9 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
9.9 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
50 vs 28 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/8000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A7 advantages over Olympus E-M1

Less expensive
$819 vs $1099*
Save money for lenses or accessories
Larger sensor
35mm vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 5.97 vs 3.75 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7 test data on DxO Mark E-M1 test data on DxO Mark

2,248 vs 757 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7 test data on DxO Mark E-M1 test data on DxO Mark

14.2 vs 12.7 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
Thinner
48 mm vs 63 mm
Thinner
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
More pixels
24.3 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Tiltable Screen
Both provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
On-sensor phase detect
Both provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read E-M1 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 User Reviews

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Your purchases support this site

Buy the Olympus E-M1

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 12-40mm Lens

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Sony A7

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens

Review Excerpt

Exceptional rugged, weather-proof, professional build; Lightning fast contrast-detect AF, and phase-detect AF that makes Four Thirds lenses far more responsive; Tons of useful physical controls with immense customizability; Arguably the best image quality of any Micro Four Thirds camera we've tested to date; Large, sharp, high-resolution electronic viewfinder; Advanced Wi-Fi capabilities, including remote control shooting in PASM exposure modes.
Bigger and heavier than many other compact system cameras; Most expensive Micro Four Thirds camera on the market to date; Menu system and customization options have a steep learning curve; No optical low-pass filter means greater risk of moire; No built-in flash.
Read our Olympus E-M1 Review

Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Very high resolution; Hybrid autofocus is reasonably fast and confident; Significantly better burst-shooting performance than A7R; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Faster x-sync than A7R; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.
Grass-is-greener syndrome when compared to its higher-res sibling; Moderate performance; Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Weak low-light autofocus considering its price; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.
Read our Sony A7 Review

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-M5

Olympus E-M1

Olympus E-M5

$1099
4/3

Focus peaking
Fast startup

$900
4/3

Less expensive
Thinner

Compare Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M5

Sony A7

Olympus E-M5

$748
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$900
4/3

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Olympus E-M5

Compared to Sony A7R

Olympus E-M1

Sony A7R

$1099
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

$2149
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7R

Sony A7

Sony A7R

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$2149
35mm

Higher effective ISO
More pixels

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7R

Compared to Panasonic GH3

Olympus E-M1

Panasonic GH3

$1099
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$798
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Longer stills battery life

Compare Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic GH3

Sony A7

Panasonic GH3

$748
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$798
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Lens selection

Compare Sony A7 vs Panasonic GH3

Compared to Panasonic GH4

Olympus E-M1

Panasonic GH4

$1099
4/3

In-Camera Image Stabilization
On-sensor phase detect

$898
4/3

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic GH4

Sony A7

Panasonic GH4

$748
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$898
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Lens selection

Compare Sony A7 vs Panasonic GH4

Compared to Sony A7 II

Olympus E-M1

Sony A7 II

$1099
4/3

Lens selection
Touchscreen

$1175
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A7 II

Sony A7

Sony A7 II

$748
35mm

Less expensive

$1175
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7 II

Compare Other Cameras?