Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a1
Portability
68 Imaging
59 Features
93 Overall
72
68 Imaging
59 Features
93 Overall
72
Portability
61 Imaging
81 Features
93 Overall
85
61 Imaging
81 Features
93 Overall
85
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a1 Key Specs
Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
(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
- Earlier Model is Olympus E-M1
- Later Model is Olympus E-M1 III
Sony a1
(Full Review)
(Full Review)
- 50MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 32000 (Push to 102400)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 7680 x 4320 video
- Sony E Mount
- 737g - 129 x 97 x 70mm
- Revealed January 2021
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In this article, we will be matching up the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony a1, both Pro Mirrorless cameras by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and a1 (50MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and a1 (Full frame) possess different sensor sizes.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe E-M1 II was launched 5 years prior to the a1 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (SLR-style mirrorless).
Before diving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-M1 II grades versus the a1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II & Sony Alpha a1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery & Sony a1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Sony a1
| E-M1 II | a1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Fully Articulated |  | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
| Selfie screen |  | Easy selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony a1 over the Olympus E-M1 II
| a1 | E-M1 II | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | January 2021 |  | September 2016 | More modern by 53 months |
| Screen resolution | 1440k |  | 1037k | Crisper screen (+403k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony a1
| E-M1 II | a1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus |  | More exact focusing | ||
| Screen sizing | 3" |  | 3" | Equivalent screen dimensions |
| Touch screen |  | Quickly navigate |
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a1 Physical Comparison
If you are going to carry around your camera regularly, you'll need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 II offers external dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") with a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) whilst the Sony a1 has specifications of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs).
Check out the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony a1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose during that time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the E-M1 II vs the a1.
Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 II and a1 is 68 and 61 respectively.
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a1 Sensor Comparison
Generally, its tough to picture the gap in sensor sizes merely by viewing specifications. The picture below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 II and a1.
Plainly, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 II featuring a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Sony a1 will provide you with extra detail utilizing its extra 30MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots far more aggressively. The more aged E-M1 II will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a1 Screen and ViewFinder
Photography Glossary Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Olympus E-M1 II Portrait photography factors
Sony a1 Portrait photography factors
manual focus
good MP (20MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides face detection focusing
saves RAW files
has manual focus
great flash sync speed (1/400 seconds)
amazing MP (50MP)
big sensor size (Full frame)
comes with face detect focusing
exports RAW formats
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Street photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Street photography with Sony a1
fully articulated screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
boasts touch to focus
weather proofing
lighter than competition in class (574 grams)
above average ISO range (25,600)
screen tilts
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
big sensor size (Full frame)
exports RAW formats
features focus via touch
weather sealing
very good ISO range (32,000)
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Sports photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Sports photography with Sony a1
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
quiet mode (1/32,000s)
max frames per second high (60.0 frames per second)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides tracking autofocus
weather proofing
sensor has phase detect AF
terrible battery (350 per charge)
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet shooting (1/32,000 seconds)
high frames per second (30.0 frames per second)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
amazing MP (50MP)
big sensor size (Full frame)
comes with tracking focus
weather sealing
good battery power (530 shots)
supports phase detect AF
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Olympus E-M1 II Travel photography factors
Sony a1 Travel photography factors
lighter than competition in class (574g)
weather proofing
boasts touch to focus
good MP (20 megapixels)
display is selfie friendly
terrible battery (350 CIPA)
good battery power (530 CIPA)
weather sealing
connects via bluetooth
features focus via touch
amazing MP (50 megapixels)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
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Olympus E-M1 II as a Landscape photography camera
Sony a1 as a Landscape photography camera
manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
good sized screen (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
no low pass filter
above average ISO range (25,600)
saves RAW files
weather proofing
two card slots
terrible battery (350 shots)
has manual focus
switch lenses (Sony E mount)
screen is a good size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
amazing MP (50MP)
big sensor size (Full frame)
very good ISO range (32,000)
exports RAW formats
weather sealing
good battery power (530 shots)
has double storage slots
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Olympus E-M1 II as a Vlogging camera
Sony a1 as a Vlogging camera
display is selfie friendly
built-in touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
provides face detection focusing
high quality video (4096 x 2160 pixels)
includes external microphone socket
lighter than competition in class (574g)
has touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
comes with face detect focusing
video res high (7680 x 4320 resolution)
comes with mic port
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a1 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Sony Alpha a1 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Olympus | Sony |
| Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Sony Alpha a1 |
| Category | Pro Mirrorless | Pro Mirrorless |
| Revealed | 2016-09-19 | 2021-01-26 |
| Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | TruePic VIII | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | Full frame |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.4 x 13mm | 35.9 x 24mm |
| Sensor surface area | 226.2mm² | 861.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 20 megapixel | 50 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 8640 x 5760 |
| Max native ISO | 25600 | 32000 |
| Max boosted ISO | - | 102400 |
| Lowest native ISO | 200 | 100 |
| RAW pictures | ||
| Lowest boosted ISO | 64 | 50 |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Total focus points | 121 | 759 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Available lenses | 107 | 133 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
| Display sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of display | 1,037k dot | 1,440k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch capability | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dot | 9,437k dot |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | 0.9x |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/8000s |
| Highest quiet shutter speed | 1/32000s | 1/32000s |
| Continuous shooting speed | 60.0 frames per sec | 30.0 frames per sec |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash distance | 9.10 m (at ISO 100) | no built-in flash |
| Flash settings | Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual | Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Highest flash sync | 1/250s | 1/400s |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| 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 | 7680x4320 (30p, 25p, 23.98) |
| Max video resolution | 4096x2160 | 7680x4320 |
| Video format | MOV, H.264 | XAVC S, XAVC HS, H.264, H.265 |
| Mic jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | Built-In |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) | Yes |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 574g (1.27 lb) | 737g (1.62 lb) |
| Dimensions | 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") | 129 x 97 x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around 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 shots | 530 shots |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLH-1 | NP-FZ100 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots | Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots (UHS-II supported) |
| Storage slots | 2 | 2 |
| Price at launch | $1,700 | $6,498 |