Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic S5 II

Below is a thorough review of the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic S5 II, both Pro Mirrorless cameras by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference among the resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and S5 II (24MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and S5 II (Full frame) offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-M1 was manufactured 10 years earlier than the S5 II and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature the same body design (SLR-style mirrorless).

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-M1 matches up against the S5 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 has outside measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") along with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Panasonic S5 II has specifications of 134mm x 102mm x 90mm (5.3" x 4.0" x 3.5") along with a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic S5 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the E-M1 against the S5 II.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 and S5 II is 71 and 59 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to envision the contrast in sensor measurements simply by seeing specifications. The graphic below should give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 and S5 II.

To sum up, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Panasonic S5 II will produce extra detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos way more aggressively. The older E-M1 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.