Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax MX-1
68 Imaging
59 Features
93 Overall
72


84 Imaging
37 Features
60 Overall
46
Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Key Specs
(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 Maximum Shutter
- 4096 x 2160 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 574g - 134 x 91 x 67mm
- Revealed September 2016
- Older Model is Olympus E-M1
- Newer Model is Olympus E-M1 III
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-112mm (F1.8-2.5) lens
- 391g - 122 x 61 x 51mm
- Revealed July 2013

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Overview
Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax MX-1, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and MX-1 (12MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and MX-1 (1/1.7") have totally different sensor dimensions.

The E-M1 II was introduced 3 years after the MX-1 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.
Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-M1 II grades against the MX-1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II & Pentax MX-1. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery & Pentax MX-1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Pentax MX-1
E-M1 II | MX-1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | September 2016 | ![]() | July 2013 | More modern by 40 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 920k | Sharper screen (+117k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Pentax MX-1 over the Olympus E-M1 II
MX-1 | E-M1 II |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Pentax MX-1
E-M1 II | MX-1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | More precise focus | ||
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same screen sizing |
Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Physical Comparison
When you are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 II has outer 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) and the Pentax MX-1 has dimensions of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") with a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax MX-1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are using at that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the E-M1 II versus the MX-1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 II and MX-1 is 68 and 84 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it's difficult to see the contrast between sensor sizes just by checking specs. The pic here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 II and MX-1.
As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 II having a bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Olympus E-M1 II will give you extra detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs way more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 II is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Pentax MX-1 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Olympus | Pentax |
Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Pentax MX-1 |
Class | Pro Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
Revealed | 2016-09-19 | 2013-07-01 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | TruePic VIII | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/1.7" |
Sensor dimensions | 17.4 x 13mm | 7.44 x 5.58mm |
Sensor area | 226.2mm² | 41.5mm² |
Sensor resolution | 20MP | 12MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 4000 x 3000 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 12800 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW data | ||
Min enhanced ISO | 64 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | 121 | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 28-112mm (4.0x) |
Highest aperture | - | f/1.8-2.5 |
Macro focusing distance | - | 1cm |
Total lenses | 107 | - |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 4.8 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Display size | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of display | 1,037k dot | 920k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch capability | ||
Display technology | - | TFT LCD with AR coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | None |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dot | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | - |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Max shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/8000s |
Max quiet shutter speed | 1/32000s | - |
Continuous shutter speed | 60.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 9.10 m (at ISO 100) | 12.00 m |
Flash options | 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 Speed sync, Trailing Curtain sync |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/250s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
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 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 4096x2160 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | MOV, H.264 | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 574 grams (1.27 lb) | 391 grams (0.86 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") | 122 x 61 x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 80 | 49 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 23.7 | 20.4 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.8 | 11.3 |
DXO Low light rating | 1312 | 208 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 350 shots | 290 shots |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLH-1 | D-Li-106 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Storage slots | 2 | 1 |
Retail price | $1,700 | $400 |