Olympus E-M1 III vs Sony NEX-5N
67 Imaging
61 Features
96 Overall
75
89 Imaging
56 Features
69 Overall
61
Olympus E-M1 III vs Sony NEX-5N Key Specs
(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
- Released February 2020
- Older Model is Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 269g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
- Announced October 2011
- Previous Model is Sony NEX-5
- Updated by Sony NEX-5R
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The following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-M1 III vs Sony NEX-5N, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and NEX-5N (APS-C) posses different sensor size.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe E-M1 III was revealed 8 years after the NEX-5N which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-M1 III scores versus the NEX-5N when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III & Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 III Gallery & Sony NEX-5N Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 III over the Sony NEX-5N
| E-M1 III | NEX-5N | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | February 2020 | October 2011 | Newer by 102 months | |
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen | |
| Screen resolution | 1037k | 920k | Sharper screen (+117k dot) | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5N over the Olympus E-M1 III
| NEX-5N | E-M1 III |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 III and Sony NEX-5N
| E-M1 III | NEX-5N | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Very exact focus | |||
| Screen size | 3" | 3" | Same screen size | |
| Touch screen | Quickly navigate |
Olympus E-M1 III vs Sony NEX-5N Physical Comparison
If you're aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 III enjoys outside dimensions 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 Sony NEX-5N has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).
See the Olympus E-M1 III vs Sony NEX-5N in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at the time. Following is a front view size comparison of the E-M1 III versus the NEX-5N.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 III and NEX-5N is 67 and 89 respectively.
Olympus E-M1 III vs Sony NEX-5N Sensor Comparison
Usually, it is hard to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by looking at specifications. The pic underneath may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 III and NEX-5N.
To sum up, both of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M1 III with its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Olympus E-M1 III will give more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The newer E-M1 III provides a benefit in sensor innovation.
Olympus E-M1 III vs Sony NEX-5N Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Sony NEX-5N Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III | Sony Alpha NEX-5N | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
| Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III | Sony Alpha NEX-5N |
| Category | Pro Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Released | 2020-02-11 | 2011-10-03 |
| Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | TruePic IX | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 17.4 x 13mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 226.2mm² | 365.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 20 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 4912 x 3264 |
| Max native ISO | 25600 | 25600 |
| Lowest native ISO | 200 | 100 |
| RAW support | ||
| Lowest boosted ISO | 64 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Total focus points | 121 | 25 |
| Cross type focus points | 121 | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Available lenses | 107 | 121 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
| Screen diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
| Resolution of screen | 1,037k dot | 920k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Screen tech | - | Tilt Up 80°, Down 45° TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic (optional) |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dot | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | - |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Maximum silent shutter speed | 1/32000 secs | - |
| Continuous shooting speed | 60.0 frames/s | 10.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
| Flash settings | 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, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash sync | 1/250 secs | 1/160 secs |
| 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 | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 4096x2160 | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | AVCHD |
| Microphone input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 580g (1.28 lbs) | 269g (0.59 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 134 x 91 x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") | 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | not tested | 77 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 23.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 12.7 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 1079 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 420 photos | 460 photos |
| Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLH-1 | NPFW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II on first slot) | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Storage slots | Two | Single |
| Price at launch | $1,800 | $550 |