Olympus E-5 vs Olympus E-M5 II

Let's examine more in depth at the Olympus E-5 versus Olympus E-M5 II, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless and they are both created by Olympus. There exists a significant gap among the image resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and E-M5 II (16MP) but they feature the same exact sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was unveiled 5 years prior to the E-M5 II and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-M5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving through a detailed comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-5 grades against the E-M5 II with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-5 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 II. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-5 Gallery and Olympus E-M5 II Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-5 comes with outside dimensions of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) while the Olympus E-M5 II has measurements of 124mm x 85mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") with a weight of 469 grams (1.03 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-5 versus Olympus E-M5 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-5 against the E-M5 II.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-5 and E-M5 II is 58 and 80 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to imagine the difference in sensor sizing just by seeing a spec sheet. The visual here will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-5 and E-M5 II.

As you can see, the two cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit different megapixels. You should expect the Olympus E-M5 II to show greater detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots a little more aggressively. The older E-5 will be behind in sensor innovation.