Sony A77 vs Olympus E-M5 II

Cameras
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Sony A77 vs Olympus E-M5 II

APS-C 369.7mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 16,000

Go in depth with our full Sony A77 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the A77.

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.

Succeeded by the Sony A77 II
Compare A77 vs A77 II

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

Compare SONY A77 II vs OLYMPUS E-M5 III

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Differences

Sony A77 advantages over Olympus E-M5 II

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
Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
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

530 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
24.3 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Faster JPEG shooting
11.6 fps vs 10.4 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.6 fps vs 10.4 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

Olympus E-M5 II advantages over Sony A77

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
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
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.
E-M5 II test data on DxO Mark A77 test data on DxO Mark

908 vs 801 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Thinner
44 mm vs 80 mm
Thinner
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/8000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
25600 vs 16000 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
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
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
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

NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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

Amazon
Adorama
Read A77 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read E-M5 II User Reviews

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Body Only
Kit with 16-50mm Lens
Kit with 18-135mm Lens

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Buy the Olympus E-M5 II

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Body Only (Silver)
Body Only (Black)

All E-M5 II Deals

Review Excerpt

Very fast top frame rate; full-time phase-detect autofocus; Full 60p HD video; Excellent kit lens; Very good high-resolution sensor.
Heavy; EVF appears dim when used in bright light; AF tracking in Movie mode was unreliable in our testing.
Read our Sony A77 Full Review

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

The Competition

Compared to Canon 7D

Sony A77

Canon 7D

$1899
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Focus peaking

$1499
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A77 vs Canon 7D

Olympus E-M5 II

Canon 7D

$899
4/3

Focus peaking
Less expensive

$1499
APS-C

Larger sensor
Fast startup

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Canon 7D

Compared to Canon 70D

Sony A77

Canon 70D

$1899
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$999
APS-C

Lens selection
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A77 vs Canon 70D

Olympus E-M5 II

Canon 70D

$899
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$999
APS-C

Larger sensor
On-sensor phase detect

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Canon 70D

Compared to Panasonic GX7

Sony A77

Panasonic GX7

$1899
APS-C

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

$648
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A77 vs 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

Compared to Sony A77 II

Sony A77

Sony A77 II

$1899
APS-C

Built-in GPS

$1198
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
NFC

Compare Sony A77 vs Sony A77 II

Olympus E-M5 II

Sony A77 II

$899
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1198
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-camera panoramas

Compare Olympus E-M5 II vs Sony A77 II

Compared to Panasonic GX85

Sony A77

Panasonic GX85

$1899
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

$598
4/3

Lens selection
Shoot 4K video

Compare Sony A77 vs 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

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