• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 16.1 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 25,600
  • 35mm 861.6mm2
  • 42.4 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

Buy From

Differences

Olympus E-M5 II advantages over Sony A7R II

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Less expensive
    $899 vs $2898
    Save money for lenses or accessories
  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • High resolution composite
    Yes vs No
    Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
  • Fast startup
    ~0.80 vs 1.5 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Thinner
    44 mm vs 60 mm
    Thinner
  • Lighter weight
    469g vs 640g
    Lighter weight
  • Less shutter lag
    0.14 vs 0.21 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    10.4 fps vs 5.0 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Faster RAW shooting
    10.4 fps vs 5.0 fps
    Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
  • Faster shutter
    1/16000 vs 1/8000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A7R II advantages over Olympus E-M5 II

  • Larger sensor
    35mm vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 4.51 vs 3.75 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • Shoot 4K video
    4K (UHD) vs 1080p
    Make sure you have a fast computer
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Better color depth
    26.0 vs 23.0 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    3,434 vs 908 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.9 vs 12.4 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Yes vs No
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • More pixels
    42.4 vs 16.1 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Headphone jack
    Yes vs No
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Bigger RAW buffer
    23 vs 13 shots
    Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos
  • Higher extended ISO
    102400 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
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Both provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • 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

  • 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

User reviews

Buy From

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

  • Superb image quality; Very high resolution; Surprisingly good high ISO performance; Fast autofocus; Compact, comfortable body with lots of customization potential; Bright, roomy and clear viewfinder; Tilting LCD display; Five-axis stabilization; Intuitive Wi-Fi / NFC connectivity

  • Movie button is poorly located; No touch screen; Not as fast to start up or shoot photos as a similarly-priced SLR; Rather slow buffer clearing; No built-in flash; Single card slot; Not weather-sealed to the same degree as some rivals

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
Sony A7R II
Panasonic GX7
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
  • $648
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Touchscreen

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
Sony A7R II
Panasonic GX8
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
  • $998
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

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
Sony A7R II
Panasonic GX85
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
  • $598
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Sony A9

Olympus E-M5 II
Sony A9
  • $899
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive
  • $3147
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
Sony A7R II
Sony A9
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • In-camera panoramas
  • More pixels
  • $3147
  • 35mm
  • Bigger pixels
  • Touchscreen

Compared to Sony A7R III

Olympus E-M5 II
Sony A7R III
  • $899
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive
  • $2248
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
Sony A7R II
Sony A7R III
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • In-camera panoramas
  • $2248
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Touchscreen
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