• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 16.1 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 25,600
  • 35mm 855.6mm2
  • 24.3 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

Buy From

Differences

Olympus E-P5 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
    ~0.90 vs 2.1 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Lighter weight
    545g vs 769g
    Lighter weight
  • 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

Sony A7 advantages over Olympus E-P5

  • Larger sensor
    35mm vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Eye-level vs Rear display only
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • 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
    2,248 vs 895 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    14.2 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 telephoto lens reach
    70 mm vs 34 mm
    Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
  • 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
  • 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
  • Wider angle kit lens
    28 mm vs 34 mm
    Capture more of the scene with the included lens
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    50 vs 16 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Bigger RAW buffer
    28 vs 18 shots
    Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
  • 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
  • Tiltable Screen
    Both provide
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Both provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • 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
  • 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

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Handsome retro styling; Very good image quality and dynamic range, with competitive high ISO performance; Lightning fast autofocusing; Excellent burst speeds (nearly 10fps at full res); Top shutter speed of 1/8000 second; Sharp, bright 17mm f/1.8 kit lens; 3-inch tilting touchscreen LCD with 1.04M dots of resolution.

  • Heavier than some mirrorless models; Weak flash; Below average battery life; No built-in viewfinder (but EVF available in a kit or for separate purchase); A bit pricey compared to the similar E-M5, which offers a built-in EVF and weather sealing at about the same price.

  • 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.

The Competition

Compared to Sony A7R

Olympus E-P5
Sony A7R
  • $1249
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $1799
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Eye-level viewfinder
Sony A7
Sony A7R
  • $819
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels
  • $1799
  • 35mm
  • Higher effective ISO
  • More pixels

Compared to Olympus E-P3

Olympus E-P5
Olympus E-P3
  • $1249
  • 4/3
  • Focus peaking
  • Touchscreen
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • More telephoto lens reach
Sony A7
Olympus E-P3
  • $819
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compared to Olympus E-M5

Olympus E-P5
Olympus E-M5
  • $1249
  • 4/3
  • Focus peaking
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • More telephoto lens reach
Sony A7
Olympus E-M5
  • $819
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compared to Panasonic GX7

Olympus E-P5
Panasonic GX7
  • $1249
  • 4/3
  • Higher effective ISO
  • Thinner
  • $648
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Eye-level viewfinder
Sony A7
Panasonic GX7
  • $819
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
  • $648
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compared to Sony A7 II

Olympus E-P5
Sony A7 II
  • $1249
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Touchscreen
  • $1175
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Eye-level viewfinder
Sony A7
Sony A7 II
  • $819
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • $1175
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
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