Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7 II
68 Imaging
59 Features
93 Overall
72


69 Imaging
71 Features
84 Overall
76
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7 II 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 Max Shutter
- 4096 x 2160 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 574g - 134 x 91 x 67mm
- Launched September 2016
- Old Model is Olympus E-M1
- Successor is Olympus E-M1 III
(Full Review)
- 24MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600 (Push to 51200)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 599g - 127 x 96 x 60mm
- Released November 2014
- Replaced the Sony A7
- New Model is Sony A7 III

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7 II Overview
Let's look closer at the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7 II, both Pro Mirrorless digital cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M1 II (20MP) and the A7 II (24MP) is relatively well matched but the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and A7 II (Full frame) provide different sensor measurements.

The E-M1 II was launched 23 months after the A7 II which makes them a generation away from each other. Both cameras feature the same body design (SLR-style mirrorless).
Before going right into a thorough comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-M1 II scores vs the A7 II with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7 II Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and Sony Alpha A7 II. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery and Sony A7 II Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Sony A7 II
E-M1 II | A7 II | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | September 2016 | ![]() | November 2014 | More modern by 23 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A7 II over the Olympus E-M1 II
A7 II | E-M1 II | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen resolution | 1230k | ![]() | 1037k | Crisper screen (+193k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7 II
E-M1 II | A7 II | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focusing | ||
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same screen measurements |
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7 II Physical Comparison
In case you're aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to factor in 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") and a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) whilst the Sony A7 II has proportions of 127mm x 96mm x 60mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.4") having a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A7 II in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the E-M1 II and the A7 II.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 II and A7 II is 68 and 69 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7 II Sensor Comparison
Usually, it's tough to imagine the gap between sensor sizes simply by looking at specs. The picture below may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 II and A7 II.
As you can plainly see, both of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 II due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A7 II will give greater detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The newer E-M1 II provides an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7 II Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A7 II Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Sony Alpha A7 II | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Sony Alpha A7 II |
Category | Pro Mirrorless | Pro Mirrorless |
Launched | 2016-09-19 | 2014-11-20 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | TruePic VIII | Bionz X |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | Full frame |
Sensor dimensions | 17.4 x 13mm | 35.8 x 23.9mm |
Sensor area | 226.2mm² | 855.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 20MP | 24MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 6000 x 4000 |
Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 25600 |
Maximum boosted ISO | - | 51200 |
Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW data | ||
Minimum boosted ISO | 64 | 50 |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 121 | 117 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Available lenses | 107 | 121 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Display diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Display resolution | 1,037k dot | 1,230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dot | 2,359k dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | 0.71x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/8000 seconds |
Highest quiet shutter speed | 1/32000 seconds | - |
Continuous shooting speed | 60.0fps | 5.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | 9.10 m (at ISO 100) | no built-in flash |
Flash modes | Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual | no built-in flash |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | 1/250 seconds | - |
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 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p) |
Maximum video resolution | 4096x2160 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | MOV, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Built-In |
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) | 599 gr (1.32 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") | 127 x 96 x 60mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 80 | 90 |
DXO Color Depth score | 23.7 | 24.9 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.8 | 13.6 |
DXO Low light score | 1312 | 2449 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 350 images | 350 images |
Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLH-1 | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures)) |
Time lapse shooting | With downloadable app | |
Type of storage | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | Two | One |
Retail price | $1,700 | $1,456 |