Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A230
68 Imaging
59 Features
93 Overall
72
69 Imaging
49 Features
40 Overall
45
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A230 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
- Revealed September 2016
- Succeeded the Olympus E-M1
- Newer Model is Olympus E-M1 III
(Full Review)
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A230 Overview
Here is a extensive analysis of the Olympus E-M1 II versus Sony A230, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and A230 (10MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and A230 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesThe E-M1 II was launched 7 years later than the A230 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before we go right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-M1 II grades vs the A230 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
Photography Glossary Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A230 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Sony A230
| E-M1 II | A230 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | September 2016 | May 2009 | Fresher by 90 months | |
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen | |
| Screen size | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 1037k | 230k | Sharper screen (+807k dot) | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A230 over the Olympus E-M1 II
| A230 | E-M1 II |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony A230
| E-M1 II | A230 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Dial exact focusing |
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A230 Physical Comparison
In case you're going to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M1 II enjoys 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 Sony A230 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-M1 II versus Sony A230 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have at that moment. The following is a front view size comparison of the E-M1 II vs the A230.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 II and A230 is 68 and 69 respectively.
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A230 Sensor Comparison
Typically, it can be hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizing only by going over a spec sheet. The photograph here may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 II and A230.
As you can see, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 II due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh tougher and the Olympus E-M1 II will deliver more detail utilizing its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The fresher E-M1 II should have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A230 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony A230 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Olympus | Sony |
| Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 |
| Class | Pro Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Revealed | 2016-09-19 | 2009-05-18 |
| Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | TruePic VIII | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.4 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
| Sensor area | 226.2mm² | 369.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 20 megapixel | 10 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 3872 x 2592 |
| Highest native ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
| Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
| RAW pictures | ||
| Minimum enhanced ISO | 64 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect autofocus | ||
| Contract detect autofocus | ||
| Phase detect autofocus | ||
| Total focus points | 121 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Total lenses | 107 | 143 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of display | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
| Display diagonal | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
| Resolution of display | 1,037k dot | 230k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dot | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 95 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | 0.55x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Max shutter speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Max quiet shutter speed | 1/32000 seconds | - |
| Continuous shutter speed | 60.0fps | 3.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 9.10 m (at ISO 100) | 10.00 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, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Max flash sync | 1/250 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| 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 | - |
| Highest video resolution | 4096x2160 | None |
| Video data format | MOV, H.264 | - |
| Mic input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| 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 seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 574g (1.27 lbs) | 490g (1.08 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") | 128 x 97 x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 80 | 63 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 23.7 | 22.3 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.8 | 11.4 |
| DXO Low light rating | 1312 | 531 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 350 photographs | 230 photographs |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLH-1 | NP-FH50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
| Storage slots | Two | One |
| Cost at release | $1,700 | $569 |