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Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5

Portability
67
Imaging
61
Features
96
Overall
75
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5 front
Portability
94
Imaging
37
Features
25
Overall
32

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 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
  • 580g - 134 x 91 x 69mm
  • Introduced February 2020
  • Old Model is Olympus E-M1 II
Panasonic LS5
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 26-130mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
  • 126g - 97 x 62 x 27mm
  • Announced July 2011
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5 Overview

On this page, we are matching up the Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and LS5 (14MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and LS5 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M1 III was released 8 years later than the LS5 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LS5 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a short summary of how the E-M1 III matches up versus the LS5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 III over the Panasonic LS5

 E-M1 III LS5 
AnnouncedFebruary 2020July 2011More recent by 105 months
Manually focus More accurate focusing
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display dimensions3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution1037k230kClearer display (+807k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic LS5 over the Olympus E-M1 III

 LS5 E-M1 III 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 III and Panasonic LS5

 E-M1 III LS5 

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 III provides exterior measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LS5 has specifications of 97mm x 62mm x 27mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at the time. Following is a front view size comparison of the E-M1 III and the LS5.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5 size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 III and LS5 is 67 and 94 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5 Sensor Comparison

Generally, it is tough to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements simply by viewing a spec sheet. The photograph here will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 III and LS5.

Clearly, both of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 III due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Olympus E-M1 III will provide you with more detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 III is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-M1 III
Portrait photography with Panasonic LS5
76
focusing manually
good resolution (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
offers face detection focusing
exports RAW formats
33
megapixel count decent (14MP)
supports face detection focusing
focusing manually not possible
manual exposure not possible
external flash not possible
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M1 III
Street photography with Panasonic LS5
78
fully articulated screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
provides touch to focus
environment sealing
very good ISO range (25,600)
62
has image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competitors in class (126g)
fixed screen
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-M1 III
Sports photography with Panasonic LS5
80
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet mode (1/32,000 seconds)
fast continuous shooting (60.0 frames/s)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good resolution (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
offers tracking autofocus
environment sealing
comes with phase detect AF
32
has image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority
small sensor (1/2.3")
bad battery power (160 shots)
lack of phase detect AF
Photography Glossary

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III as a Travel photography camera
Panasonic LS5 as a Travel photography camera
79
environment sealing
supports bluetooth
provides touch to focus
good resolution (20MP)
display is selfie friendly
65
lighter than competitors in class (126g)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
flash built-in
reasonably wide (26mm)
no Time Lapse recording
bad battery power (160 CIPA)
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-M1 III
Landscape photography with Panasonic LS5
81
focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
good sized screen (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good resolution (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
does not have anti aliasing filter
very good ISO range (25,600)
exports RAW formats
environment sealing
has double storage slots
36
reasonably wide (26mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
focusing manually not possible
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen is small (2.7")
manual exposure not possible
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
bad battery power (160 CIPA)
no Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Vlogging factors
Panasonic LS5 Vlogging factors
79
display is selfie friendly
built-in touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
offers face detection focusing
high res video (4096 x 2160 resolution)
does have external mic port
32
reasonably wide (26mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
supports face detection focusing
lighter than competitors in class (126 grams)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen isn't selfie friendly
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
no external mic support
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic LS5 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 III and Panasonic LS5
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIIPanasonic Lumix DMC-LS5
General Information
Company Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5
Category Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Introduced 2020-02-11 2011-07-21
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic IX -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor area 226.2mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixel 14 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3 and 16:9
Full resolution 5184 x 3888 4320 x 3240
Max native ISO 25600 6400
Minimum native ISO 200 100
RAW images
Minimum boosted ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Manual focus
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points 121 9
Cross focus points 121 -
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 26-130mm (5.0x)
Largest aperture - f/2.8-6.5
Amount of lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.9
Screen
Type of screen Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inches 2.7 inches
Screen resolution 1,037 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Screen technology - TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 8 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/2000 seconds
Highest silent shutter speed 1/32000 seconds -
Continuous shooting rate 60.0 frames per second 1.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range no built-in flash 4.60 m
Flash modes Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/250 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 4096x2160 1280x720
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 580 grams (1.28 lbs) 126 grams (0.28 lbs)
Physical dimensions 134 x 91 x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") 97 x 62 x 27mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 420 shots 160 shots
Style of battery Battery Pack AA
Battery model BLH-1 2 x AA
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II on first slot) SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots 2 One
Price at launch $1,800 $294