Olympus E-M1 II vs Sony WX500

Here is a complete analysis of the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony WX500, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M1 II (20MP) and the WX500 (18MP) is relatively comparable but the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and WX500 (1/2.3") use different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 II was announced 18 months later than the WX500 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX500 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-M1 II matches up against the WX500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery & Sony WX500 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1 II comes with outside dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") and a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) while the Sony WX500 has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") along with a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-M1 II and Sony WX500 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M1 II against the WX500.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 II and WX500 is 68 and 91 respectively.

Usually, it can be hard to picture the gap in sensor sizing just by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph here will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 II and WX500.

As you can see, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 II having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus E-M1 II will show extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The younger E-M1 II should have a benefit in sensor tech.