Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic S5 II

In this write-up, we are analyzing the Olympus E-M1 III versus Panasonic S5 II, both Pro Mirrorless digital cameras by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-M1 III (20MP) and the S5 II (24MP) is fairly well matched but the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and S5 II (Full frame) enjoy different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 III was brought out 3 years before the S5 II and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer the identical body type (SLR-style mirrorless).

Before going in to a in-depth comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-M1 III grades versus the S5 II in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III and Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 III Gallery and Panasonic S5 II Gallery.

If you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1 III enjoys outer measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) and the Panasonic S5 II has sizing of 134mm x 102mm x 90mm (5.3" x 4.0" x 3.5") with a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

See the Olympus E-M1 III versus Panasonic S5 II in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the E-M1 III vs the S5 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 III and S5 II is 67 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to imagine the gap between sensor measurements only by checking technical specs. The graphic below may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 III and S5 II.

As you can tell, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 III featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Panasonic S5 II will resolve extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The older E-M1 III is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.