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Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1 II

Portability
71 Imaging
53 Features
85 Overall
65
Olympus OM-D E-M1 front
 
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II front
Portability
68 Imaging
59 Features
93 Overall
72

Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1 II Key Specs

Olympus E-M1
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 497g - 130 x 94 x 63mm
  • Revealed October 2013
  • Newer Model is Olympus E-M1 II
Olympus E-M1 II
(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
  • Introduced September 2016
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-M1
  • Renewed by Olympus E-M1 III
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Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1 II Overview

Below, we are evaluating the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus E-M1 II, both Pro Mirrorless cameras and both of them are produced by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the E-M1 II (20MP) is fairly close and they come with the exact same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-M1 was introduced 3 years before the E-M1 II and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras come with the identical body type (SLR-style mirrorless).

Before diving through a full comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-M1 grades versus the E-M1 II when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Olympus E-M1 II

		

		

			
 E-M1 E-M1 II 
		

	

	
	

		

		
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Olympus E-M1

		

		

			
 E-M1 II E-M1 
IntroducedSeptember 2016October 2013More recent by 35 months
Display typeFully ArticulatedTiltingFully Articulating display
Selfie screen  Easy selfies
		

	

	
	

		

		
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus E-M1 II

		

		

			
 E-M1 E-M1 II 
Manually focus  Dial exact focus
Display dimension3"3"Identical display dimensions
Display resolution1037k1037kThe same display resolution
Touch friendly display  Easily navigate
		

	

	

	
	
	
	

	

		

		
Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1 II Physical Comparison

		

		

			
For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera, you have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 has got physical dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Olympus E-M1 II has dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") having a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus E-M1 II in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the E-M1 and the E-M1 II.
Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1 II size comparison
Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and E-M1 II is 71 and 68 respectively.
Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1 II top view buttons comparison		

	

	
	

		

		
Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1 II Sensor Comparison

		

		

			
Usually, it can be hard to see the difference in sensor measurements merely by viewing specs. The photograph below may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 and E-M1 II.
All in all, both cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same megapixels. You can anticipate the Olympus E-M1 II to provide you with more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older E-M1 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.
	
			Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1 II sensor size comparison			
		

	

	
	

		

		
Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1 II Screen and ViewFinder

		

		

					

		Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1 II Screen and Viewfinder comparison	

	
			Photography Glossary	

	
	
	
	

	

		
Photography Type Scores

		

	

	
Portrait Comparison
Olympus E-M1 Portrait photography factors
Olympus E-M1 II Portrait photography factors
71
 you can focus manually
 flash sync is higher than normal (1/320 seconds)
 good  resolution (16MP)
 decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
 supports face detection focusing
 supports RAW formats
75
 has manual focus
 megapixel count good (20MP)
 sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
 supports face detection focus
 exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison
Street photography with Olympus E-M1
Street photography with Olympus E-M1 II
78
 screen tilts up and down
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
 supports RAW formats
 provides touch to focus
 weather proofing
 lighter than competitors in class (497g)
 very good high ISO (25,600)
78
 screen can move to multiple angles
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
 exports RAW formats
 comes with focus via touch
 weather proof
 lighter than others (574 grams)
 good high ISO (25,600)
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Sports Comparison
Sports photography with Olympus E-M1
Sports photography with Olympus E-M1 II
70
 great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 good  resolution (16 megapixels)
 decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
 supports tracking autofocus
 weather proofing
 comes with phase detect AF
 not so great battery pack (350 CIPA)
74
 max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
 quiet shutter (1/32,000 seconds)
 max fps high (60.0 frames per second)
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 megapixel count good (20MP)
 sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
 supports tracking autofocus
 weather proof
 comes with phase detect auto focus
 bad battery power (350 per charge)
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Travel Comparison
 Olympus E-M1 as a Travel photography camera
 Olympus E-M1 II as a Travel photography camera
65
 lighter than competitors in class (497 grams)
 weather proofing
 provides touch to focus
 good  resolution (16MP)
 not so great battery pack (350 per charge)
 display is not selfie friendly
72
 lighter than others (574g)
 weather proof
 comes with focus via touch
 megapixel count good (20 megapixels)
 selfie friendly screen
 bad battery power (350 per charge)
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Landscape Comparison
Landscape photography with Olympus E-M1
Landscape photography with Olympus E-M1 II
73
 you can focus manually
 switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
 pretty good screen size (3 inches)
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 good  resolution (16 megapixels)
 decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
 very good high ISO (25,600)
 supports RAW formats
 weather proofing
 not so great battery pack (350 shots)
76
 has manual focus
 switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
 screen size is good (3 inch)
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 megapixel count good (20MP)
 sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
 does not have anti aliasing filter
 good high ISO (25,600)
 exports RAW formats
 weather proof
 has dual storage slots
 bad battery power (350 shots)
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Vlogging Comparison
Olympus E-M1 Vlogging info
Olympus E-M1 II Vlogging info
36
 has touchscreen
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 supports face detection focusing
 video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
 does have external mic port
 lighter than competitors in class (497g)
 display is not selfie friendly
79
 selfie friendly screen
 touch screen
 image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
 supports face detection focus
 good video quality (4096 x 2160 resolution)
 does have external microphone jack
 lighter than others (574g)
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Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-M1 II Specifications

		

		

					

		
		

			Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 and Olympus E-M1 II
 Olympus OM-D E-M1Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
General Information
Make Olympus Olympus
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M1 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Class Pro Mirrorless Pro Mirrorless
Revealed 2013-10-28 2016-09-19
Body design SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePIC VII TruePic VIII
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 17.4 x 13mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 226.2mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 20MP
Anti alias filter    
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and  16:9 4:3
Full resolution 4608 x 3456 5184 x 3888
Max native ISO 25600 25600
Minimum native ISO 100 200
RAW support    
Minimum boosted ISO - 64
Autofocusing
Manual focusing    
Touch focus    
Continuous AF    
AF single    
Tracking AF    
Selective AF    
AF center weighted    
AF multi area    
AF live view    
Face detect focusing    
Contract detect focusing    
Phase detect focusing    
Total focus points 81 121
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Number of lenses 107 107
Crop factor 2.1 2.1
Screen
Display type Tilting Fully Articulated
Display sizing 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of display 1,037 thousand dot 1,037 thousand dot
Selfie friendly    
Liveview    
Touch operation    
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dot 2,360 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x 0.74x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 60 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Highest quiet shutter speed - 1/32000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 10.0 frames per second 60.0 frames per second
Shutter priority    
Aperture priority    
Manual exposure    
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB    
Image stabilization    
Built-in flash    
Flash distance no built-in flash 9.10 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain), Manual Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual
Hot shoe    
AEB    
White balance bracketing    
Highest flash sync 1/320 seconds 1/250 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure    
Average exposure    
Spot exposure    
Partial exposure    
AF area exposure    
Center weighted exposure    
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM, 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
Max video resolution 1920x1080 4096x2160
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG MOV, H.264
Microphone input    
Headphone input    
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth    
NFC    
HDMI    
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal    
Water proofing    
Dust proofing    
Shock proofing    
Crush proofing    
Freeze proofing    
Weight 497 gr (1.10 lbs) 574 gr (1.27 lbs)
Dimensions 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 73 80
DXO Color Depth rating 23.0 23.7
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.7 12.8
DXO Low light rating 757 1312
Other
Battery life 350 images 350 images
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLN-1 BLH-1
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom)
Time lapse shooting    
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots
Storage slots Single 2
Cost at launch $799 $1,700