Nikon D5100 vs Olympus E-M5 III

Its time to look more closely at the Nikon D5100 versus Olympus E-M5 III, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Nikon and Olympus. The sensor resolution of the D5100 (16MP) and the E-M5 III (20MP) is relatively close but the D5100 (APS-C) and E-M5 III (Four Thirds) offer different sensor sizes.

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The D5100 was manufactured 9 years prior to the E-M5 III and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Nikon D5100 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a in depth comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the D5100 grades against the E-M5 III in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon D5100 & Olympus OM-D E-M5 III. The entire galleries are available at Nikon D5100 Gallery & Olympus E-M5 III Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and proportions. The Nikon D5100 provides external measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 79mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.1") with a weight of 560 grams (1.23 lbs) while the Olympus E-M5 III has measurements of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") with a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs).

Contrast the Nikon D5100 versus Olympus E-M5 III in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select during that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the D5100 compared to the E-M5 III.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the D5100 and E-M5 III is 66 and 80 respectively.

Often, it's tough to visualize the gap in sensor measurements simply by researching a spec sheet. The visual underneath will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the D5100 and E-M5 III.

As you can see, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The D5100 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 III will render extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures way more aggressively. The older D5100 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.