Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SP-820UZ

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-M1 II and Olympus SP-820UZ, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are manufactured by Olympus. There is a big difference between the resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and SP-820UZ (14MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and SP-820UZ (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-M1 II was announced 4 years after the SP-820UZ which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-820UZ being a Compact camera.

Before we go in to a full comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the E-M1 II matches up against the SP-820UZ with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery and Olympus SP-820UZ Gallery.

For those who are going to carry around your camera frequently, you'll have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M1 II has external dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") having a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) whilst the Olympus SP-820UZ has proportions of 117mm x 78mm x 93mm (4.6" x 3.1" x 3.7") and a weight of 485 grams (1.07 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M1 II and Olympus SP-820UZ in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at that time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-M1 II compared to the SP-820UZ.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 II and SP-820UZ is 68 and 69 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizes simply by reviewing specifications. The picture underneath should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 II and SP-820UZ.

To sum up, each of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 II using its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Olympus E-M1 II will offer greater detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics a little more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 II is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.