Olympus E-420 vs Olympus E-M5 II

In this article, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-420 and Olympus E-M5 II, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless and they are both created by Olympus. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and E-M5 II (16MP) but they feature the same exact sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

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The E-420 was launched 7 years earlier than the E-M5 II which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus E-M5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-420 scores against the E-M5 II for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-420 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 II. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Olympus E-M5 II Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera regularly, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-420 enjoys physical measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Olympus E-M5 II has dimensions of 124mm x 85mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") having a weight of 469 grams (1.03 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-420 and Olympus E-M5 II in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-420 compared to the E-M5 II.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and E-M5 II is 77 and 80 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes merely by viewing specs. The pic underneath will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-420 and E-M5 II.

All in all, the 2 cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit different MP. You should expect the Olympus E-M5 II to result in greater detail utilizing its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more aged E-420 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.