Olympus E-M5 II vs Canon 80D

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Olympus E-M5 II vs Canon 80D

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

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-M5 II Review.
How does it shoot? Olympus E-M5 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the E-M5 II.
Compare Olympus E-M5 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Olympus E-M5 II conclusion.

APS-C 337.5mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 16,000

Go in depth with our full Canon 80D Review.
How does it shoot? Canon 80D in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the 80D.
Compare Canon 80D image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 80D conclusion.

Succeeded by the Olympus E-M5 III
Compare E-M5 II vs E-M5 III

Succeeded by the Canon 90D
Compare 80D vs 90D

Compare OLYMPUS E-M5 III vs CANON 90D

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Differences

Olympus E-M5 II advantages over Canon 80D

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
Thinner
44 mm vs 78 mm
Thinner
More viewfinder magnification
0.74x vs 0.59x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
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
10.4 fps vs 6.8 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
10.4 fps vs 6.7 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/8000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Canon 80D advantages over Olympus E-M5 II

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 0.8 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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.
80D test data on DxO Mark E-M5 II test data on DxO Mark

1,135 vs 908 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

960 vs 310 shots
Capture more photos
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
More pixels
24.2 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
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
Bigger JPEG buffer
53 vs 18 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
24 vs 13 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Similarities

Common Strengths

Tilt-swivel screen
Both provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
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

In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Read E-M5 II User Reviews

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Read 80D User Reviews

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Kit with 18-135mm Lens
Kit with 18-55mm Lens

Review Excerpt

Excellent handling in a compact, weather-sealed body; Crisp, roomy electronic viewfinder; Image quality that can take the fight to APS-C DSLRs; Unique high-res mode lets it bat far above its weight for static scenes; Extremely fast 10 fps burst shooting, Excellent video feature set
Control dials are easily bumped; Below-average battery life at default settings; Buffer depths for raw shooters are a bit limited; 16-megapixel sensor resolution feels dated; Weak bundled flash strobe
Read our Olympus E-M5 II Review

Very good image quality; Better RAW high ISO performance than predecessor; Improved buffer depth; Very fast AF; Dual Pixel CMOS AF is excellent; f/8 AF support; 1080/60p video; Headphone jack; Very good battery life.
New kit lens isn't very sharp; No 4K video; No clean HDMI out; 29:59 minute video recording limit; Phase detect AF not as sensitive in low-light as expected (Dual Pixel AF is better in low-light).
Read our Canon 80D Review

The Competition

Compared to Panasonic GX7

Olympus E-M5 II

Panasonic GX7

$899
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
High resolution composite

$648
4/3

In-camera panoramas
Internal flash

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GX7

Canon 80D

Panasonic GX7

$935
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

$648
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 80D vs Panasonic GX7

Compared to Nikon D7200

Olympus E-M5 II

Nikon D7200

$899
4/3

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1043
APS-C

Larger sensor
Fast startup

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Nikon D7200

Canon 80D

Nikon D7200

$935
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1043
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
More dynamic range

Compare Canon 80D vs Nikon D7200

Compared to Panasonic GX8

Olympus E-M5 II

Panasonic GX8

$899
4/3

High resolution composite
Fast startup

$998
4/3

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GX8

Canon 80D

Panasonic GX8

$935
APS-C

Larger sensor
Fast startup

$998
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 80D vs Panasonic GX8

Compared to Panasonic GX85

Olympus E-M5 II

Panasonic GX85

$899
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
High resolution composite

$598
4/3

Less expensive
Shoot 4K video

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic GX85

Canon 80D

Panasonic GX85

$935
APS-C

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

$598
4/3

Focus peaking
Less expensive

Compare Canon 80D vs Panasonic GX85

Compared to Nikon D7500

Olympus E-M5 II

Nikon D7500

$899
4/3

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$930
APS-C

Larger sensor
Shoot 4K video

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Nikon D7500

Canon 80D

Nikon D7500

$935
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$930
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Fast startup

Compare Canon 80D vs Nikon D7500

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