Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a3500

Below is a in depth assessment of the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony a3500, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M1 II (20MP) and the a3500 (20MP) is pretty comparable but the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and a3500 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-M1 II was manufactured 2 years later than the a3500 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (SLR-style mirrorless).

Before going into a in depth comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-M1 II matches up vs the a3500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II & Sony Alpha a3500. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery & Sony a3500 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M1 II features outer dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") having a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) while the Sony a3500 has proportions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony a3500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using at the time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-M1 II and the a3500.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 II and a3500 is 68 and 69 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to see the difference in sensor measurements only by going through specs. The graphic here will give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 II and a3500.

All in all, both of the cameras provide the same resolution albeit not the same sensor measurements. The E-M1 II contains the smaller sensor which is going to make obtaining shallow DOF more challenging. The newer E-M1 II will have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.