Clicky

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FX78

Portability
68
Imaging
59
Features
93
Overall
72
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 front
Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
31
Overall
33

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FX78 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
  • Updated by Olympus E-M1 III
Panasonic FX78
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-120mm (F2.5-5.9) lens
  • 142g - 100 x 55 x 21mm
  • Launched January 2011
  • Also Known as Lumix DMC-FX77
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FX78 Overview

Here is a comprehensive overview of the Olympus E-M1 II versus Panasonic FX78, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and FX78 (12MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and FX78 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizes.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The E-M1 II was released 5 years later than the FX78 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FX78 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-M1 II matches up vs the FX78 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Panasonic FX78

 E-M1 II FX78 
LaunchedSeptember 2016January 2011Fresher by 69 months
Manually focus Very precise focusing
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display resolution1037k230kClearer display (+807k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Reasons to pick Panasonic FX78 over the Olympus E-M1 II

 FX78 E-M1 II 
Display dimensions3.5"3"Larger display (+0.5")

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic FX78

 E-M1 II FX78 
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FX78 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1 II enjoys physical measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") along with a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FX78 has measurements of 100mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") along with a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M1 II versus Panasonic FX78 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the E-M1 II and the FX78.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FX78 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 II and FX78 is 68 and 95 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FX78 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FX78 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it's tough to imagine the gap between sensor sizing only by reading specs. The photograph here might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 II and FX78.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 II featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus E-M1 II will offer extra detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The more recent E-M1 II provides an edge in sensor technology.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FX78 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FX78 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FX78 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Portrait photography factors
Panasonic FX78 Portrait photography factors
75
manual focus
megapixel count decent (20MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports face detection focus
delivers RAW formats
21
manual focus not available
lack of manual exposure
no external flash support
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Street photography with Panasonic FX78
78
screen articulates fully
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
provides focus via touch
environment proof
lighter than competitors in class (574g)
very good high ISO (25,600)
57
built in image stabilization (Optical)
no articulating screen
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Sports photography details
Panasonic FX78 Sports photography details
74
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
silent mode (1/32,000s)
fast shooting (60.0 frames per second)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports tracking autofocus
environment proof
comes with phase detect auto focus
terrible battery life (350 shots)
28
built in image stabilization (Optical)
provides tracking focus
low maximum shutter speed (1/1,400 seconds)
slow continuous shooting (4.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
not so great battery pack (200 CIPA)
doesn't have phase detect AF
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Travel photography advice
Panasonic FX78 Travel photography advice
72
lighter than competitors in class (574 grams)
environment proof
provides focus via touch
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
screen is selfie friendly
terrible battery life (350 CIPA)
56
built-in flash
relatively wide (24mm)
no Time Lapse function
not so great battery pack (200 per charge)
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
does not offer selfie friendly display
sluggish max aperture (f2.5)
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Landscape photography info
Panasonic FX78 Landscape photography info
76
manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
does not have low pass filter
very good high ISO (25,600)
delivers RAW formats
environment proof
has double storage slots
terrible battery life (350 per charge)
36
relatively wide (24mm)
screen larger than average (3.5 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
manual focus not available
can't switch lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f2.5)
lack of manual exposure
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
not so great battery pack (200 per charge)
no Time Lapse function
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Vlogging details
Panasonic FX78 Vlogging details
79
screen is selfie friendly
touch screen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detection focus
high quality video (4096 x 2160 pixels)
does have external microphone port
lighter than competitors in class (574g)
33
relatively wide (24mm)
touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
sluggish max aperture (f2.5)
does not offer selfie friendly display
no mic support
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic FX78 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic FX78
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIPanasonic Lumix DMC-FX78
General Information
Make Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78
Other name - Lumix DMC-FX77
Category Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Introduced 2016-09-19 2011-01-25
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VIII Venus Engine FHD
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 226.2mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 5184 x 3888 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 25600 6400
Minimum native ISO 200 100
RAW support
Minimum enhanced ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 121 11
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-120mm (5.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/2.5-5.9
Macro focusing distance - 5cm
Available lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.9
Screen
Type of display Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display sizing 3" 3.5"
Resolution of display 1,037k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Display technology - TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Min shutter speed 60s 60s
Max shutter speed 1/8000s 1/1400s
Max quiet shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shutter rate 60.0 frames per sec 4.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 9.10 m (at ISO 100) 5.60 m
Flash modes 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, Slow Syncro
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash synchronize 1/250s -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
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), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 4096x2160 1920x1080
Video format MOV, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic support
Headphone support
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
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 574g (1.27 lb) 142g (0.31 lb)
Physical dimensions 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") 100 x 55 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 80 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.7 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.8 not tested
DXO Low light rating 1312 not tested
Other
Battery life 350 photographs 200 photographs
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLH-1 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots Two Single
Pricing at release $1,700 $210