Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a3500
Portability
68 Imaging
58 Features
93 Overall
72
68 Imaging
58 Features
93 Overall
72
Portability
69 Imaging
62 Features
54 Overall
58
69 Imaging
62 Features
54 Overall
58
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a3500 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 Maximum Shutter
- 4096 x 2160 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 574g - 134 x 91 x 67mm
- Launched September 2016
- Old Model is Olympus E-M1
- Newer Model is Olympus E-M1 III
Sony a3500
(Full Review)
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 16000
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 411g - 128 x 91 x 85mm
- Revealed March 2014
- Superseded the Sony A3000
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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.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe 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.
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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.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Sony a3500
| E-M1 II | a3500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | September 2016 |  | March 2014 | More recent by 31 months |
| Screen type | Fully Articulated |  | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen |
| Screen resolution | 1037k |  | 230k | Sharper screen (+807k dot) |
| Selfie screen |  | Take selfies | ||
| Touch friendly screen |  | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony a3500 over the Olympus E-M1 II
| a3500 | E-M1 II |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony a3500
| E-M1 II | a3500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually |  | Very exact focusing | ||
| Screen dimensions | 3" |  | 3" | Equal screen measurements |
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a3500 Physical Comparison
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.
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a3500 Sensor Comparison
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.
Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a3500 Screen and ViewFinder
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Portrait Comparison
Portrait photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Portrait photography with Sony a3500
focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
offers face detect autofocus
saves RAW files
you can focus manually
good resolution (20MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
features face detection autofocus
delivers RAW files
Photography GlossaryStreet Comparison
Olympus E-M1 II as a Street photography camera
Sony a3500 as a Street photography camera
fully articulated screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
has touch focus
environment proof
lighter than competition (574g)
great high ISO (25,600)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
screen is fixed
does not have image stabilization
more heavy than competition in class (411 grams)
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Sports photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Sports photography with Sony a3500
high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
silent shutter (1/32,000 seconds)
fast shooting (60.0 fps)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
offers tracking focus
environment proof
has phase detect autofocus
bad battery (350 per charge)
good resolution (20MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
features tracking autofocus
better than average battery life (470 CIPA)
painfully slow continuous shooting (4.0 frames per second)
does not have image stabilization
does not have phase detect autofocus
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Olympus E-M1 II Travel photography information
Sony a3500 Travel photography information
lighter than competition (574 grams)
environment proof
has touch focus
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
selfie friendly display
bad battery (350 shots)
better than average battery life (470 shots)
good resolution (20 megapixels)
built-in flash
doesn't have Timelapse function
more heavy than competition in class (411g)
display isn't selfie friendly
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banLandscape Comparison
Olympus E-M1 II Landscape photography advice
Sony a3500 Landscape photography advice
focusing manually
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
doesnt have anti-alias filter
great high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW files
environment proof
2 card slots
bad battery (350 shots)
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3")
good resolution (20MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
better than average battery life (470 per charge)
does not have image stabilization
doesn't have Timelapse function
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Olympus E-M1 II Vlogging features
Sony a3500 Vlogging features
selfie friendly display
built-in touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
offers face detect autofocus
video res high (4096 x 2160 resolution)
has mic support
lighter than competition (574g)
features face detection autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
doesn't have external microphone socket
more heavy than competition in class (411g)
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony a3500 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Sony Alpha a3500 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
| Model | Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Sony Alpha a3500 |
| Type | Pro Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Launched | 2016-09-19 | 2014-03-21 |
| Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | TruePic VIII | BIONZ image |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 17.4 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 226.2mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 20 megapixel | 20 megapixel |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest Possible resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 5456 x 3632 |
| Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 16000 |
| Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
| RAW images | ||
| Minimum enhanced ISO | 64 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect autofocus | ||
| Contract detect autofocus | ||
| Phase detect autofocus | ||
| Number of focus points | 121 | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Amount of lenses | 107 | 121 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
| Display diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
| Resolution of display | 1,037k dots | 230k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Display tech | - | TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dots | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | 0.47x |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/4000s |
| Fastest quiet shutter speed | 1/32000s | - |
| Continuous shutter rate | 60.0 frames per second | 4.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | 9.10 m (at ISO 100) | 6.00 m (at ISO200 / 4m at ISO100) |
| Flash settings | Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual | Flash off, Auto flash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync. |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash synchronize | 1/250s | 1/160s |
| 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 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Maximum video resolution | 4096x2160 | 1920x1080 |
| Video format | MOV, H.264 | AVCHD, H.264 |
| Microphone port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| 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 sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 574g (1.27 pounds) | 411g (0.91 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") | 128 x 91 x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | 80 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | 23.7 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 12.8 | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | 1312 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 350 images | 470 images |
| Battery type | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | BLH-1 | NP-FW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2-sec. or 10-sec. delay) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots | - |
| Card slots | Two | Single |
| Price at release | $1,700 | $398 |