• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 16.1 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 25,600
  • APS-C 366.6mm2
  • 20.1 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 16,000

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Differences

Olympus E-M5 advantages over Sony A58

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Fast startup
    ~1.10 vs 1.9 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • More telephoto lens reach
    100 mm vs 83 mm
    Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
  • Thinner
    43 mm vs 77 mm
    Thinner
  • Higher max flash sync
    1/250 vs 1/160 sec
    Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
  • Higher-res screen
    205k vs 154k pixels
    More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
  • Shoots 60p video
    Yes vs No
    A faster framerate can give you more editing options
  • Wider angle kit lens
    24 mm vs 27 mm
    Capture more of the scene with the included lens
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    8.9 fps vs 4.9 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    17 vs 8 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Faster RAW shooting
    9.0 fps vs 4.8 fps
    Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
  • Bigger RAW buffer
    16 vs 6 shots
    Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
  • Higher extended ISO
    25600 vs 16000 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Sony A58 advantages over Olympus E-M5

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    APS-C vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 700 vs 360 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • Less shutter lag
    0.13 vs 0.28 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • More pixels
    20.1 vs 16.1 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • 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
  • Tiltable Screen
    Both provide
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • 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 Wi-Fi
    Neither provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Neither provide
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Neither provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • 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
  • Headphone jack
    Neither provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Your purchases support this site

Buy the Olympus E-M5

Review Excerpt

  • Attractive body design; Well-built, weather-sealed body; Excellent image quality; Excellent image stabilization; Very fast autofocus.

  • Exposure compensation dial changes easily; Small buttons; No in-camera chromatic aberration correction; Bundled flash is weak; Video compression artifacts with rapidly-moving subjects.

  • Improved 20.1-megapixel resolution; Impressive image quality, especially for its price; Fast and decisive autofocus (in most conditions); Very good battery life; Good video quality (Full HD 1080p, though it doesn't support 60p frame rate).

  • Plastic lens mount; Slower burst mode speeds and shallower buffer than A57; LCD no longer fully articulating; Mediocre kit lens; Electronic instead of an optical viewfinder may be a turnoff for some.

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-M1

Olympus E-M5
Olympus E-M1
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Thinner
  • $1099
  • 4/3
  • Focus peaking
  • Fast startup
Sony A58
Olympus E-M1
  • $598
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • In-camera panoramas
  • $1099
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Touchscreen

Compared to Panasonic G3

Olympus E-M5
Panasonic G3
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Higher effective ISO
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Internal flash
  • More viewfinder magnification
Sony A58
Panasonic G3
  • $598
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Focus peaking
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Touchscreen

Compared to Panasonic G5

Olympus E-M5
Panasonic G5
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • $550
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Internal flash
Sony A58
Panasonic G5
  • $598
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $550
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Touchscreen

Compared to Pentax K-5 IIs

Olympus E-M5
Pentax K-5 IIs
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Tiltable Screen
  • $497
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
Sony A58
Pentax K-5 IIs
  • $598
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Focus peaking
  • $497
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup

Compared to Canon T5i

Olympus E-M5
Canon T5i
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Higher effective ISO
  • $539
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Tilt-swivel screen
Sony A58
Canon T5i
  • $598
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $539
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Tilt-swivel screen
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