Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic S5 II X

Let's look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic S5 II X, both Pro Mirrorless digital cameras by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and S5 II X (24MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and S5 II X (Full frame) feature different sensor sizing.

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The E-M1 was launched 10 years earlier than the S5 II X and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (SLR-style mirrorless).

Before going in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise overview of how the E-M1 matches up vs the S5 II X with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II X. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Panasonic S5 II X Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 has got external dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Panasonic S5 II X has specifications of 134mm x 102mm x 90mm (5.3" x 4.0" x 3.5") with a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic S5 II X in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the E-M1 versus the S5 II X.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and S5 II X is 71 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to picture the gap between sensor measurements just by checking specifications. The visual underneath should give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and S5 II X.

To sum up, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic S5 II X will give you extra detail utilizing its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots far more aggressively. The older E-M1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.