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Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1

Portability
68
Imaging
60
Features
93
Overall
73
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II front
 
Olympus PEN E-PM1 front
Portability
89
Imaging
48
Features
52
Overall
49

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 574g - 134 x 91 x 67mm
  • Introduced September 2016
  • Replaced the Olympus E-M1
  • New Model is Olympus E-M1 III
Olympus E-PM1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 265g - 110 x 64 x 34mm
  • Revealed November 2011
  • Replacement is Olympus E-PM2
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1 Overview

Below, we are evaluating the Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are sold by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and E-PM1 (12MP) but they come with the exact same sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

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The E-M1 II was announced 4 years after the E-PM1 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-M1 II matches up vs the E-PM1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Olympus E-PM1

 E-M1 II E-PM1 
RevealedSeptember 2016November 2011More modern by 59 months
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display resolution1037k460kClearer display (+577k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Olympus E-PM1 over the Olympus E-M1 II

 E-PM1 E-M1 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Olympus E-PM1

 E-M1 II E-PM1 
Manually focus Dial precise focus
Display dimension3"3"Identical display sizing

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1 Physical Comparison

In case you're looking to carry around your camera often, you will want to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M1 II has external measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) and the Olympus E-PM1 has proportions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose during that time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-M1 II compared to the E-PM1.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 II and E-PM1 is 68 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1 Sensor Comparison

Generally, it is difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes just by checking a spec sheet. The pic here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 II and E-PM1.

Clearly, both of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements but not the same resolution. You should anticipate the Olympus E-M1 II to give more detail with its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics much more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 II will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Portrait photography factors
Olympus E-PM1 Portrait photography factors
76
manual focus
good MP (20MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
has face detection focusing
saves RAW formats
60
manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
has face detect autofocus
exports RAW files
MP count low (12 megapixels)
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II as a Street photography camera
Olympus E-PM1 as a Street photography camera
78
screen articulates
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
features touch to focus
weather sealing
lighter than average in class (574 grams)
very good ISO range (25,600)
75
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
no moving screen
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Sports photography details
Olympus E-PM1 Sports photography details
75
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet shooting (1/32,000 seconds)
fast continuous shooting (60.0 frames per second)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (20MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
has tracking autofocus
weather sealing
supports phase detect AF
low battery (350 shots)
49
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
has tracking focus
very slow continuous shooting (6.0 frames/s)
MP count low (12 megapixels)
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
Photography Glossary

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II as a Travel photography camera
Olympus E-PM1 as a Travel photography camera
72
lighter than average in class (574 grams)
weather sealing
features touch to focus
good MP (20 megapixels)
screen is selfie friendly
low battery (350 per charge)
45
no Time Lapse mode
MP count low (12 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II as a Landscape photography camera
Olympus E-PM1 as a Landscape photography camera
76
manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (20MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
no anti aliasing filter
very good ISO range (25,600)
saves RAW formats
weather sealing
has double storage slots
low battery (350 shots)
65
manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3")
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
MP count low (12 megapixels)
no Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II as a Vlogging camera
Olympus E-PM1 as a Vlogging camera
79
screen is selfie friendly
touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
has face detection focusing
video resolution high (4096 x 2160 resolution)
comes with external microphone port
lighter than average in class (574g)
34
image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detect autofocus
good video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
display isn't selfie friendly
no mic port
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PM1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 II and Olympus E-PM1
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIOlympus PEN E-PM1
General Information
Company Olympus Olympus
Model Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Olympus PEN E-PM1
Category Pro Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2016-09-19 2011-11-23
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VIII TruePic VI
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor surface area 226.2mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 20MP 12MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3
Maximum resolution 5184 x 3888 4032 x 3024
Maximum native ISO 25600 12800
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW files
Min boosted ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Number of focus points 121 35
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Available lenses 107 107
Focal length multiplier 2.1 2.1
Screen
Display type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3" 3"
Display resolution 1,037 thousand dot 460 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Display technology - HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 60s
Highest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/4000s
Highest quiet shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shooting speed 60.0fps 6.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 9.10 m (at ISO 100) no built-in flash
Flash settings Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels)
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/250s 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM, 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 4096x2160 1920x1080
Video format MOV, H.264 AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 574 gr (1.27 lbs) 265 gr (0.58 lbs)
Dimensions 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") 110 x 64 x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 80 52
DXO Color Depth score 23.7 21.0
DXO Dynamic range score 12.8 10.3
DXO Low light score 1312 499
Other
Battery life 350 photographs 330 photographs
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLH-1 BLS-5
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots 2 Single
Pricing at launch $1,700 $499